Local government councillors commit to working together in addressing service delivery challenges - 11 December 2024

Show Voice Options Gauteng municipal ward councillors have welcomed the Gauteng Turnaround Strategy to improve service delivery in Gauteng municipalities. Ward councillors from all 11 municipalities in the Gauteng City Region have expressed strong support for the Gauteng Turnaround Strategy, committing to enhanced collaboration across the three spheres of government. This united approach aims to improve service delivery and uplift the lives of residents across the province. The Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) successfully hosted a Ward Councillor Imbizo on Tuesday, 10 December 2024. This critical platform addressed pressing service delivery challenges, including water and energy security, while exploring strategies to combat crime and prepare for the 2026 local government elections. Acting Premier, Lebogang Maile said the Imbizo held following the Local Government Summit held earlier this year acknowledged the underlying factors that are impacting negatively on municipalities such as, institutional stability, financial viability and sustainable local development and spatial restricting and climate change. He acknowledged that there are underlying factors that impact service delivery such as municipal governance and stability and made a commitment to support municipalities as mandated by the constitution. "National and local government will support municipalities in terms of section 154 of the constitution aimed at strengthening the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs," said Maile. Key updates were also provided on strategic programmes aligned with Section 154 of the Constitution. These include the outcomes of the Local Government Turnaround Summit, efforts to strengthen food safety and by-law enforcement, and strategies for managing water security and energy demands. The discussions also focused on the Emergency Energy Response Plan, which aims to enhance energy stability in the province, and preparations for the upcoming local government elections. MEC for Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, stressed the importance of collaboration in addressing challenges. He remarked, "this interaction provides a critical platform for integrated planning and empowers councillors to execute their constitutional mandate effectively. The challenges facing our municipalities require a united approach, leveraging on each other's strengths to deliver better outcomes for our people." During the Imbizo, councillors were briefed on election-related matters, including the formula for determining the number of councillors as stipulated in Section 20 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (as amended), as well as updates on ward delimitation and the Municipal Capacity Assessments for district and local municipalities.