The Deputy Ministers of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola and Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, today (10 September 2024) concluded their Ministerial Support and Interventions engagements with priority districts in the Eastern Cape. This session, held from 9 to 10 September 2024, focused on two key districts, namely: Chris Hani and Amathole, respectively.

Over the two days, the Deputy Ministers were accompanied by the Eastern Cape MEC for COGTA, Mr. Zolile Williams. Participants at these sessions included District and Local Mayors, Speakers, Members of Mayoral Committees (MMCs), Chief Whips, and senior government officials.

During today’s session with the Amathole District, the Deputy Ministers emphasised the importance of establishing effective and efficient municipalities capable of fulfilling their constitutional mandate. To this effect, the leadership of Amathole reflected on their work and the extent to which they are making progress and having impact in the lives of communities they serve.

Equally important, the meeting reflected on the perennial challenges that continue to drag down the performance of municipalities. The evidence of this challenge is reflected in the 2022-23 Municipal Audit Outcomes and the findings of the State of Local Government Report, which painted a concerning picture in some municipalities. These findings placed particular emphasis on the need for urgent interventions in the most affected Districts.

Key discussions in today’s session were centered around detailed reports on the current state of municipalities in the Amathole Districts. The sessions focused on the following areas:
Governance: Enhancing accountability and ensuring sound leadership within municipalities.
Service Delivery: Addressing the challenges that hinder the provision of essential services such as water, electricity, and waste management.
Infrastructure: Overcoming infrastructural challenges, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Financial Management: Tackling issues related to poor financial controls and ensuring municipalities are fiscally sound. Systemic Challenges: The need to review the 1998 White Paper on Local Government was highlighted, with particular attention to issues related to municipal amalgamations.

Wrapping up the session, Deputy Minister Dr. Masemola appreciated the discussions that unfolded during the day. He urged the delegates in attendance to continue working for the betterment of the communities they serve. The Deputy Minister emphasised the critical need for ongoing collaboration between all spheres of government and local stakeholders guided by the principles of the District Development Model (DDM).

He called for the delegates to actively engage with CoGTA in the upcoming work surrounding the review of the White Paper on Local Government. This review, he noted, presents a unique opportunity to reimagine and strengthen the local government system, ensuring that it is more responsive, efficient, and aligned with the current needs of South African communities.

He also highlighted the importance of revisiting the Local Government funding model, which is often cited as a key factor in the financial instability of municipalities. Deputy Minister, Dr. Masemola urged the session to work closely with COGTA during the review process, emphasizing that reforms to the funding model are necessary to ensure that municipalities are adequately resourced to meet their service delivery obligations.

As a follow-up, a Programme of Action (POA) will be compiled to ensure the effective implementation of the discussed strategies. It is within the above context that Deputy Minister promised return to the province to assess implementation and to also ensure that all issues raised have been attended to. Ends –

For media enquiries
please contact:
Legadima Leso
066 479 9904