Local Government leaders call for evidenced-based planning and policy making approach to avoid costly governance mistakes

Posted: 20 March 2019

Under the theme: Implementing integrated Asset Management solutions for sustainable service delivery,” SALGA in partnership with Bonakude Consulting, Centre for Municipal Asset Management & CIGFARO convened a two-day Local Government Asset Management Indaba on 18 – 19 March 2019 at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel, KwaZulu-Natal.

The purpose of the conference was to create a platform for all stakeholders to discuss mechanisms and share success stories of how municipalities can enhance integration in asset management across finance, technical and engineering services departments.

In her welcome address, host Mayor of Ethekwini metro, Cllr Zandile Gumede, asserted that municipalities are asset-intensive institutions providing services to the communities. "This is because local government is the sphere closest to the people," said Gumede. The Mayor emphasised that investing in new infrastructure is critical for local government to facilitate service delivery.

Cllr Nonhle Mkhulisi, Deputy Chairperson of SALGA KZN, reaffirmed that local government is on a path towards professionalization and excellence in that a number of municipalities are nearing 100% coverage in terms of basic services. She called for collective efforts to ensure that local government is on its way to being a hub of excellence and achieves the integration of asset management.

Honourable Nomusa Dube-Ncube, COGTA KZN MEC spoke about how well municipalities were investing in infrastructure maintenance and the implications to the quality of life. The MEC urged delegates to view municipal assets through the lens of the 4th Industrial Revolution, thus, deliberate on an integrated approach to infrastructure challenges experienced by local government.

Monitored by Sabelo Gwala, SALGA KZN Provincial Executive Officer, panellists Emmanuel Ngcobo – Centre of Municipal Asset Management; Vela Mtshali – Bonakude Consulting and Nozipho Nkomo – CCG Systems spoke about the role of local government in ensuring that assets are managed properly and how the Centre for Municipal Asset Management has been established to focus on promoting integrated asset management.

Speaking on the drivers of asset management, Gwala expressed that "ultimately, integrating asset management is critical to facilitate efficient and sustainable service delivery.”

The two-day indaba further resolved that:

• Municipalities and SALGA must lobby for, and support the establishment of a Centre for Asset Management which will facilitate the advancement of the practice and professionalization.

• Municipalities must take immediate steps to address audit findings related to poor asset management practice.

• Provincial and national governments must increase support for municipal adoption of 4th Industrial Revolution solutions and analytics.

• Municipalities must increase spending on ICT security features.

• SALGA must facilitate documentation of best practices in Integrated Asset Management.

• SALGA to mobilize political support for Asset Replacement Reserves in municipalities.

• The resolutions of the 2nd Asset Management Indaba be submitted to the SALGA Executive Committee for consideration and ratification.