Thabo Bodibe
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) held a two-day Gauteng Local Government Turnaround Summit from 23 to 24 October 2024 at Misty Hills Hotel in Muldersdrift.
The summit focused on critical areas such as enhancing service delivery and addressing community needs, promoting financial sustainability and accountability within municipalities, improving infrastructure development and maintenance, and strengthening governance and leadership in local government.
The summit, led by Deputy Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Dickson Masemola, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and MECs Lebogang Maile and Jacob Mamabolo, brought together stakeholders from the three spheres of government, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), and entities.
In his address, Deputy Minister Masemola highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation in achieving tangible solutions for local government, aiming to improve service delivery for all citizens.
“We cannot allow the collapse of metros in Gauteng. The province is carrying the entire nation. We need to restore the municipalities in the province. As the financial hub, if Gauteng collapses, then the national collapses,” said Masemola.
He highlighted the need for municipalities to adhere to sound financial management practices, referencing challenges and recommendations raised in the State of Local Government Report and the Auditor-General’s Report on municipal audit outcomes and the funding model.
“Funding model for local government needs to be reviewed, as sustainable service delivery cannot be achieved without addressing municipalities’ financial challenges. Traditional leaders play a critical role, and we must create a more inclusive and local Government,” said the deputy minister.
Premier Lesufi expressed concern over potential water shortages in the province, warning that a difficult festive season could result if municipalities fail to address water issues. He said they might be pushed to implement level-one water restrictions across all 11 municipalities in the province to prevent an all-out water blackout.
He explained that Rand Water has exceeded its national allocation from dams, making it impossible to access more water without addressing underlying issues.
“They have not only reached that limit but have exceeded it. There’s no way they can find more water because it doesn’t solve the problems Gauteng is facing.
“About 33% of water gets lost across the province through illegal connections, leakages, or old infrastructure. Rand water gets water to lose water. We need to be creative in our resolution and adoption so that all of us can agree.
“We declare war on water losses and that every municipality would invest with the support of Rand water and Gauteng Provincial Government to detect water losses and immediately disconnect all illegal water connections; we are bringing all law enforcement agencies to support this task,” said Lesufi.
Furthermore, Lesufi stressed that all municipalities must enforce level-one water restrictions and that government institutions must settle outstanding municipal debts to ensure cash flow and address current challenges.
“It is essential to create a cash flow to deal with our current problems. We are going to create a common centre where leakages are reported. A joint management structure will be established with the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water, Gauteng Provincial Government, and all Municipalities.”
MEC Maile urged municipalities to develop robust revenue enhancement strategies and implement strict budget measures to ensure continued service delivery. He noted that several municipalities are implementing financial recovery plans under provincial intervention.
“Municipalities in Gauteng undergoing debt relief are on track to have portions of their debt to Eskom written off. The debt relief initiative, launched by the National Treasury and Eskom, aims to support municipalities struggling to pay their electricity bills.”
Maile added that five municipalities in Gauteng-Emfuleni, Rand West City, Mogale City, Lesedi, and Merafong-have applied to have portions of their debt to Eskom written off.
To strengthen municipal governance, the
Gauteng Provincial Treasury has appointed ten technical advisors to support district and local municipalities facing challenges in managing their affairs. National and provincial governments are committed to bolstering municipalities’ capacity to manage their operations effectively.
SOURCED FROM THE GPG WEBSITE.
