Municipal Infrastructure and Services

Core Function

The SALGA MIS Unit Performs its mandate through the four core SALGA mandates, with is focus on municipal services and delivery.

Support

  • Identify common municipal infrastructure service delivery challenges and find solutions through research (LG research effort efficiency)
  • Identify specific individual municipal service delivery challenges and mobilize appropriate support from partners
  • Facilitate knowledge sharing and lessons learning from innovations by others and by municipalities themselves
  • Identify funding and training opportunities to support municipal infrastructure service delivery
  • Policy lobbying and advocacy to create a conducive environment for municipal infrastructure service delivery

Represent

  • Development of good quality local government infrastructure and services policy positions
  • Represent local government in sector IGR structures nationally and provincially and in the legislature and the executive
  • Knowledge hub on municipal infrastructure services delivery

Advise

  • Inform and advise municipalities on infrastructure and services policies and policy implementation
  • Inform and advise municipalities on technological innovations and/or advances related to municipal infrastructure services

Directorate Units

The Directorate has the following units:

  • Climate Change and Environment
  • Electricity and Energy
  • Human Settlements
  • Roads and Transport
  • Waste Management
  • Water and Sanitation

Water and Sanitation

  • Strategic Sanitation
  • Water Conversation and Demand Management Framework
  • National Benchmarking Initiative Report
  • SALGA comments on Bulk Water Tariff  for the financial year 2010/2011
  • Local Regulatory Framework
  • Discussion document on the role of municipalities in Catchment Management Agencies
  • Guideline on the role of municipalities in Integrated Water Resources Management

Solid Waste Management

  • Position paper on the National Waste Management Strategy
  • Comments on the Free Basic Refuse Removal policy  

Human Settlements

  • Good Practices in Rental Housing
  • Housing Development Options
  • Toolkit Social Housing Edition
  • What you need to know about Rental Housing

Projects / Programmess / Events

Climate Change & Environment

SALGA partnered with DEAT in organizing a Climate Change Summit to discuss and agree on the framework for a national Climate Change Response Policy

Electricity & Energy

In September 2009 SALGA received a proposal from ESKOM in which the utility was proposing to submit an application to NERSA for a 45% increase in electricity prices. SALGA undertook a thorough analysis of the proposal and submitted a response to Eskom. By ESKOM’s own admission, SALGA’s submission together with other stakeholders, led them to rethinking their approach and submitting a revised submission to NERSA by the end of November 2009 in which a 35% increase was proposed.

SALGA has secured financial support from the Swiss Development Corporation to develop a local government energy efficiency programme.

Water Services

SALGA engaged the Water Research Commission (WRC) to advance the research needs of municipalities in the area of water services.  This was informed by SALGA’s commitment to identify common municipal infrastructure service delivery challenges and find solutions through research to enhance service delivery, and more importantly improve municipal functioning.  

With regard to support to municipalities, the following was achieved:

  • Support on Water Services Development Plans (WSDPs) was provided to municipalities in Free State, North West and Mpumalanga.
  • 9 municipalities were identified for provision of support on water conservation and demand
  • The asset management toolkit was rolled out in Eastern Cape, Free State and North West
  • Rolled out the blue drop certification programme to municipalities  in partnership with Department of Water and a Environmental Affairs
  • Secured R10Million from Department of Water and Environmental Affairs to undertake water services programmes.

Sustainable Human Settlements

SALGA established a partnership with the Housing Development Agency to guide and assist municipalities on land acquisition and alienation processes for housing development.

The SALGA/VNG partnership was also extended through the SA/Dutch MoU. The value of the partnership between SALGA and VNG through various programmes is valued at € 225000.

Municipalities were directly assisted with the planning and implementation of Rental Housing projects through a hands-on approach in which SA municipal officials and councillors learned from their Dutch counterparts and vice versa.

Examples of support provided include:

  • Development of rental housing policies
  • Development of rental housing project proposals and submission for funding at provincial level
  • Research on the socio-economic situation for rental housing
  • Engaging public in rental housing.

Waste Management

Waste management was one of the key areas of focus of the Local Government Environment Indaba organised by SALGA and the Department of Environmental Affairs. A key outcome of this Indaba was a resolution that called on municipalities to implement Section 78 processes in respect of waste management services.

SALGA also developed and submitted substantial comments on the Free Basic Refuse Removal policy.

Recognizing the capacity challenges of this sector, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between SALGA and the Department of Environmental Affairs, which includes support to local government on some key initiatives in the waste management sector.

A partnership has also been established with the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa to cooperate in building the capacity of local government in the waste management sector.

Roads & Transport

A LG position on the draft Non-Motorised Transport policy was developed and submitted to the Department of Transport.