Mpumalanga convenes Provincial Members Assembly

Posted: 18 November 2022

The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in the Mpumalanga Province, led by its Chairperson, Cllr. Jesta Sidell convened its first annual Provincial Members Assembly (PMA) of the current term of local government (2021-2026) at the Badplaas Forever Resort in eManzana, Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality on the 24^th – 25^th of November 2022.

"We will continue to support those municipalities who are dysfunctional. In order to succeed we need a political leadership that advocates a new type of technology, a leadership that embraces globalisation, a leadership that embraces climate change and the effect is has in livelihoods, a leadership that embraces innovative solutions. We need a leadership that fears nothing but fears itself". These were the welcome remarks of the Chairperson of SALGA in Mpumalanga, Cllr. Jesta Sidell.

The SALGA Constitution (as amended) provides that "SALGA shall atleast annually hold a meeting of members to be known and described in the notice calling such a meeting as the Provincial Members' Assembly. The Members' Assembly is charged with the responsibility of exercising SALGA's authority between Conferences which take place every five (5) years".

In complying with SALGA's constitutional provisions, the Provincial Members Assembly will, inter alia, accord consideration to the following matters:

• The annual performance plan and the budget for the 2022/23 financial year;
• The proposed annual performance plan and the budget for the 2023/24 financial year; and
• Reports from governance structures and other oversight bodies.

The Assembly focused on key issues affecting local government on matters such as inadequate financial management, governance challenges, service delivery interventions, consequence management etc. with Messages of Support received from the Speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature Honourable Makhosazane Masilela, the Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders in Mpumalanga Kgoshi Lameck Mokoena, as well as the MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation Honourable Thandi Shongwe.

Presentations and Panel discussions took place during the two-day assembly consisting of prominent speakers within the sector and focused on the following topics:

• The Repurposed Local Government Professionalisation Model and implementation requirements;
• District Development Model – Outcomes and Implementation;
• Challenges prohibiting municipalities from maximising property rates revenue;
• How the provision of reliable basic services impacts local economic development and the generation of quality employment in the municipal area;
• Just Energy Transition;
• Placement, professionalisation, and funding of disaster management; and
• Ethical leadership as a catalyst for enhancing accountability, oversight, and consequence management

Municipalities were also awarded during the awards session held on the 24^th of November 2022, as follows:

• Successful and Sustainable Local Economic Development (LED) Forum: Steve Tshwete Local Municipality
• Successful municipality in implementation of SPLUMA: City of Mbombela Local Municipality
• Most Improved Local Municipality on implementation of Task Job Evaluation process: Thaba Chweu Local Municipality
• Best Performing District Job Evaluation unit: Nkangala District Job Evaluation Unit
• Implementation of PMS (district municipality): Ehlanzeni District Municipality
• Implementation of PMS (local municipality): Bushbuckridge Local Municipality
• Best Performing District Municipality on Community Safety: Nkangala District Municipality
• Best Performing District Municipality on Disaster Management: Nkangala District Municipality
• Best performing Municipality on Arts, Culture and Heritage: Nkomazi Local Municipality
• Most improved District Municipality on Municipal Health Services: Ehlanzeni District Municipality
• Best Performing Local Municipality on Disaster Management, Fire and Emergency Services: Victor Khanye Local Municipality
• Best Performing Local Municipality on Community Safety: Steve Tshwete Local Municipality
• Implementation of IDP (and content): Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality
• Chairperson's Awards:
• Ehlanzeni District Municipality (GIS unit): The District's GIS Division has created a GIS based system for Municipal Health and Environmental Management which transformed all their processes from paper to digital. This offering has been a benchmark for many District Municipalities in the country, further several Districts have been hosted for peer learning and knowledge sharing sessions.
• Gert Sibande District Municipality Drone initiative (Planning department): Gert Sibande District Municipality has established a drone capability within the municipality. The purpose of the initiative is to improve efficiency of delivery of services and planning purposes for example, planning (contour Mapping and updating topographic maps), Air quality monitoring and remote   sensing, infrastructure monitoring and thermal imagery and revenue generation.

In conclusion of the two days of Provincial Members Assembly, as part of the declaration, members resolved that:

• LGSETA should partner with tertiary institutions to capacitate municipalities.
• SALGA must lobby for public entities to be levied for properties to enhance municipal revenue.
• Sector departments officials must support Political Office Bearers by attending SALGA Governance Structure.
• District municipalities must support COGTA to implement disaster management obligations.
• SALGA to request the Premier's Office and COGTA for the convening of the Premier's Coordinating Forum and District Development Model to provide a platform for SALGA to present matters that affect municipalities.
• The District Development Model process be institutionalized in order to ensure full participation by stakeholders.
• SALGA to assist municipalities in developing systems (policies and by-laws) to attract and retain investment in the municipal jurisdiction.
• SALGA to support municipalities in digitizing the valuation cycle.
• SALGA to assist municipalities to consult and research on flat rate for properties not previously registered or valued as well as applying on the property rates act to collect levies from Eskom and Transnet infrastructure.
• The budget and organizational structures of municipalities should provide for substantive improvement in waste management.
• SALGA to advocate for the overhaul of Disaster Risk Management institutional and funding arrangements as well as the Determination of powers and functions between District Municipalities and Local Municipalities.
• SALGA to facilitate professional standards in the practice of Disaster Risk Management.
• Member municipalities to continue to build administrative capacity for implementation of disaster risk mitigation and response across all departments of a municipality.
• SALGA to support municipalities in establishing Public-Private-Partnerships to strengthen Disaster Risk Management and Fire Services.
• SALGA to lobby/engage the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team to have more transparent consultation processes going forward.
• Presidential Climate Finance Task Team to allocate appropriate percentage of the Climate funding to municipalities (JETIP).
• Presidential Climate Finance Task Team to conduct a comprehensive engagement/consultation with the local government on the published JETIP and explain the basis, rationale and what informed the allocation of funds to the local government and to get the local government inputs.
• There should be engagements on the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JETIP) with local government to understand the energy transition funds allocation, the basis and rationale for such allocation.
• SALGA NEC must engage the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy as well as the Presidential Climate Commission with a view of getting in-depth understanding of the Just Energy Transition processes.
• SALGA to facilitate knowledge and information sharing on Just Energy Transition before the planned two-days engagement session with critical stakeholders including PCC, Eskom, DMRE amongst others so that administrative and political leadership can have a deeper understanding on what this transition is all about.
• Municipal Councils must support Internal Audits, Audit Committees and MPACs to be effective by appointing skilled personnel as well as experienced Councillors.
• Municipalities must review terms of reference and delegations of internal structures and functionaries.
• Municipalities must establish Disciplinary Boards and ensure their functionality.
• In-year investigations by MPACs on the UIF&W expenditure must be conducted (UIF&W register-circular 68).
• Prior-year UIF&W must be investigated in line with the UIF&W Reduction Strategy.
• Municipalities must develop and approve a UIF&W Reduction Strategy.
• Capacity building for Councillors should be enhanced towards capacitating Councillors to be effective.
• SALGA to encourage municipalities to publish coalition agreements.
• Powers and functions of district municipalities to be reinstated.

The Assembly was attended by delegates and stakeholders in different leadership positions within local government.