The two day South African Local Government Association (Salga) Limpopo’s Provincial Members Assembly took place in Thohoyandou last Tuesday and Wednesday under the theme ‘Inspiring Service Delivery Through Innovation’ and brought together executive mayors, mayors, speakers, chief whips, municipal managers and chief financial officers of all the municipalities in the province.
A surprising highlight of the event was the announcement that Executive Mayor of Vhembe District, Cllr Florence Radzilani replaced Polokwane Executive Mayor, Cllr Thembi Nkadimeng as Provincial Chairperson with immediate effect.
Limpopo Premier, Stan Mathabatha, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs MEC, Jerry Ndou and Provincial Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Nkaro Mateta addressed delegates during the event.
Delegates engaged in three breakaway sessions during which three goals were interrogated. The first goal was ‘Sustainable, inclusive economic growth and spatial transformation’, the second one ‘Good governance and resilient municipal institutions’ and lastly ‘Financial sustainability of local government and fiscal equity’.

Story and photos:BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com

Premier cracks whip on underperformance, irregularities

Premier Stan Mathabatha issued a stern warning to delegates to the Provincial Members Assembly of the South African Local Government Association (Salga) Limpopo that those who are not prepared to do things the right way, will have to give way to those who will do it right. He emphasised that the high level of transgressions and no consequences at municipalities was unacceptable.
In his keynote address at the event, the Premier said Salga’s mandate was to ensure that municipalities take basic services to the people.
“We must always ensure that the local government space is democratised, allowing the voices of our people to guide development in their own communities,” Mathabatha said and added that it was also Salga’s responsibility to ensure that municipalities are well-oiled machines for effective and efficient delivery of services to communities.
“For us, this assembly should be about powering the institution of local government in our province to be accountable and responsive, with the necessary capacity to speed up the delivery of services to the people,” he said.
Municipalities to address challenges
Mathabatha urged delegates to come with strategies to assist municipalities to overcome the challenges of poor accountability and poor relationships with communities, problems with the political administrative interface, poor compliance with legislative and regulatory frameworks, corruption and fraud.
He also referred to the lack of proper planning and poor project management, lack of forward and integrated planning on current and capital projects and at times lack of suitably qualified and skilled personnel.
Underspending of MIG funds a matter of concern
The Premier was quite concerned about the inability to spend Municipal Infrastructure Grants (MIG).
“We need much tenacity when it comes to the issue of inability to spend on conditional infrastructure grants. This meeting would have betrayed its purpose if it can’t sufficiently deal with this matter. Whatever the problems are, there should be a solution, and that solution should be found in this meeting,” Mathabatha reckoned.
Dysfunctional municipalities are an
indictment of mayors and councillors
“I think it is a very serious indictment on all of us that we should have even a single municipality classified as dysfunctional. It is even a serious indictment on mayors and councillors who preside over such municipalities. Dysfunctionality in most municipalities is as a result of poor governance, political instability; poor audit outcomes, a high vacancy rate at senior management level and poor spending on MIG,” Mathabatha said.
According to the Premier, the Provincial Government’s Back-to-Basics Programme was aimed specifically at addressing some of the challenges. “The question we have to answer in this meeting is why some municipalities are failing to respond to this prescription. What is it that we need to do in order to rescue these municipalities from total collapse,” Mathabatha enquired.
Auditor-Generals outcomes for 2016/17 a sad tale
“We should also use this meeting to find answers to the issue of regressing municipal audit outcomes – it can’t be business as usual. In his latest audit report, the Auditor-General (AG) reported that the province’s audit outcomes regressed with no single auditee being able to improve their audit outcomes. This is without doubt, a sad tale,” Mathabatha stressed.
According to Mathabatha, the AG categorised the audit outcomes into three classes, being complacent auditees consistently receiving unqualified opinions with findings, without any improvement in internal controls to address shortcomings in the areas of performance reporting and compliance, underperformers that continue to receive qualified outcomes because of their failure to deal with repeat qualifications, and consistent poor performers with a high level of transgressions and no consequences.
“In simple terms, the Auditor General says that there is no motivation to do things the right way. He goes further to say that there are no consequences for doing things the wrong way. We will be putting more pressure on Salga and various councils to ensure that those who are not prepared to do things the right way give way to those who will do the right things,” the Premier said.
The loss of R1,5 billion in the VBS debacle
“The issue of lack of consequences could be related to the R1.5 billion that municipalities in this province lost through the VBS investments. Municipalities have been warned, long ago, that such investments are in violation of the law, and no one cared to listen. This is the type of attitude that is taking us backward,” Mathabatha said and added that the need to transform the economy, in particular the financial sector, should never be done in a manner that disregards legislation.
He called on municipal councils to take the necessary corrective action, including ensuring that there are appropriate consequences for those who have wilfully violated the law.
Municipalities to be strategic engines of development
The Premier said that government should make deliberate investments in strengthening the capacity of municipalities. “Municipalities are, and should remain our strategic engines of development. All countries which have improved on their development trajectory have done so with through local government. This is because all development projects and initiatives, takes place at a local level. There is no development that is taking place at national or provincial level without a real feed-in from local level,” Mathabatha said in conclusion.

Story, photo and video: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com

Salga Limpopo appoints new Provincial Executive Committee

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) Limpopo appointed its new Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) at Thohoyandou last Monday, with Vhembe District Municipality Executive Mayor, Florence Radzilani replacing Thembi Nkadimeng as Provincial Chairperson.
The First Deputy Provincial Chairperson is Pule Shai, Mayor of Ba-Phalaborwa, while John Mpe of Capricorn District and Morris Mataboge of Waterberg District, both Executive Mayors, are now the Second and Third Deputy Provincial Chairpersons, respectively.
The other PEC members are Julia Mathebe of Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, Jack Maeko of Lephalale Local Municipality, Nkakareng Rakgoale of Mopani District Municipality, Joyce Bila of Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Cromwell Nhemo of Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality, Sophie Makhubele of Greater Giyani Local Municipality and Malesela Dikgale, traditional leader.
Orginia Mafefe of Sekhukhune District Municipality is the commissioner on the Provincial Women’s Commission and the Salga National Executive Committee (NEC) deployee is Thamsanqa Ngubane of Umvoti Local Municipality, with Stan Ramaila, Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District as NEC member.
Salga Limpopo particularly thanked Nkadimeng and Ramaila for their work done during their tenure as Provincial Chairperson and First Deputy Provincial Chairperson respectively. “We wish them well in their new responsibilities as Deputy President and National Executive Committee (NEC) Limpopo Representative of Salga,” Salga Limpopo said in a media release.
Outgoing Chairperson, Thembi Nkadimeng addresses delegates
Delivering the opening address as outgoing Chairperson at the Provincial Members Assembly last Tuesday, Cllr Thembi Nkadimeng announced that Salga is currently developing an Accountability and Consequences Management Framework and explained that the term consequences management could be construed to imply dealing punitively with negative outcomes as opposed to rewarding positive occurrences.
Nkadimeng said that various provisions in legislation governing local government provides for role definition for the various political office bearers, other councillors and the administration. “Which measures could be proposed to assist the framework to guide those taking action to know how to apportion responsibility and accountability for challenges such as poor audit outcomes, imprudent investment in mutual banks and dysfunctional councils,” Nkadimeng asked.
“Who, in terms of lines of accountability, holds who accountable and how should this situation be addressed in the framework to ensure that consequences for failure could be seamlessly applied?”
According to Nkadimeng, there are no systems or standards for accountability and there are no consequences for failure. She asked whether there should be linkages to ethics management and accountability gaps and shortfalls currently existing in the sector and how it could be uncovered and addressed.
On a positive note, Nkadimeng said that she was looking forward to the improvement of the business of municipalities to such an extent that municipal service delivery will catch the headlines.
“We will be delighted to read that municipalities have spent their Municipal Infrastructure Grants (MIG) and that they need more money to plan ahead and implement other new projects, that no municipality owes a cent to Eskom and Lepelle Northern Water or Magalies Water for any bulk purchases and that municipalities A and B wiped out all their water supply and electricity backlogs,” Nkadimeng said.
“It will be good to read that municipalities C and D have invented a new and revolutionary way of overcoming all sorts of billing challenges and that municipalities E and F are mastering new tech savvy ways of getting in touch with their far flung communities,” she concluded.
Closing remarks by incoming Chairperson, Florence Radzilani
In her first address as Chairperson of Salga Limpopo, Radzilani said the conference was a success, alive, filled with eloquent comments and participation.
“We, however, have to acknowledge that we had several resolutions on the matters that we have been discussing over the years, that formed part of the conference,” she remarked.
“The only way that we can avoid repeating the tabling of similar issues throughout the years is if we respect and strengthen the implementation of the resolutions adopted. For as long as we are weak in implementation, we must expect that we will repeatedly discuss the same issues until they are properly implemented,” Radzilani said.
Radzilani thanked Premier Stan Mathabatha for his inspiration, MEC Jerry Ndou for the support he pledged and Dikgale for the unfailing guidance provided. She also thanked Ngubane and Salga Chief Executive Officer, Xolile George for always keeping Salga Limpopo updated on progress made on all issues. Lastly, she thanked all participants for their input.
Radzilani said that her wish is to see politicians and officials getting closer to communities, to see municipalities receiving at least unqualified reports without findings, to see everyone living up to the spirit of Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu and to see women living in peace and prosperity along the men folk.
“The vision is nothing if we don’t preach good governance, if we fail to support the Independent Electoral Commission to stage successful elections, if we don’t stop the fight between councillors and senior managers, between managers and managers, between councillor and factions,” Radzilani said.
“I will not rest until together as a collective we resolve the issue of the Municipal Councillors Pension Fund, that councillor remuneration is fair and just and that municipalities in Limpopo are able to attract the best skills and resources to serve the beloved communities of province,” Radzilani promised.
“I thank the previous chairperson who is now the Salga Deputy President, for laying the foundation on which could all move forward with high speed in matters of service delivery and in enhancing the representative role of Salga. I want to say more, but thank you for all the trust bestowed upon me and together we can make local government work,” Radzilani concluded.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com

SALGA LIMPOPO PROVINCIAL MEMBERS ASSEMBLY 2018 DECLARATION

We, the 100 delegates at this SALGA Limpopo Provincial Members Assembly of the South African Local
Government Association, drawn from 27 member municipalities in Limpopo Province, gathered here at Hotel 2 Ten in Sibasa in Thulamela Municipality in Limpopo Province, accept, of our own free will, to note with pride the significant strides that the local government sector in Limpopo has made over the past 21 years in its democratic form and commit to continue serving our people and consolidate the gains made towards deepening of the quality of democracy across the length and breadth of our province.

1. INSPIRED by the presence and participation of the representatives from the Independent Electoral Commission, the MEC of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, representatives of the House of Traditional Leaders at this Provincial Members Assembly, and organised labour, as a clear demonstration of their continuous commitment to local government as the sphere closest to the people.
2. ACKNOWLEDGING the support and participation of all key stakeholders, including civic organisations and the media, and the collective role they play in strengthening the system of local government in South Africa.
3. APPRECIATING the conditions under which councils have to fulfil their obligations and MOURNING the loss of many councillors and municipal officials through natural death and in some instances through violent attacks in the line of public duty.
4. CONDEMNING IN THE STRONGEST TERMS the continuing number of sporadic illegitimate, illegal and violent community protests leading to the destruction of property, destroying our children’s futures, including the increasing attacks on councillors, their families and assets, we call upon our law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice all the culprits of these shameful deeds. We remain confident of the ability of our government working together with all the people to explore all possible avenues to resolve the genuine grievances of the people. Collectively, we appeal to all South Africans to treasure our hard won freedom and exhaust all available systems of engagement with our government within the provisions of our progressive constitution.
5. APPRECIATING the work of the Independent Electoral Commission and the Municipal Demarcation Board in executing their constitutional and legal mandate in support of democracy and ensuring readiness for the electoral transition.
6. CELEBRATING and collectively expressing confidence and satisfaction with the performance of local government over the last 21 years and in particular the 5th democratic term, most notably the significant strides and achievements made by municipalities on transformation and deepening of local democracy, particularly in the areas of:
Providing democratic, accountable and good governance to their constituents
Extending basic services and the quality thereof to so many millions of South Africans
Effecting positive social and economic transformation and social
cohesion and providing a safe, clean and healthy environment for communities
Sound financial management and growing credibility and resilience of our balance sheets.
Nevertheless, while collectively appreciating and celebrating the progress made, we remain conscious of the fact that many communities have yet  to taste the fruits of freedom and democracy. Therefore appreciating  that the intensification of the back to basics programme will be the anchor  of the next phase of strengthening municipal institutional performance,  innovation and resilience, because we know and must acknowledge that  there are indeed still a few municipalities that are not resilient, responsive and people centred.
7. Endorsing the candidacy of the City of Polokwane’s Executive Mayor Cllr Thembi Nkadimeng for the Deputy President of SALGA, as part of strengthening Limpopo and profiling the province to South African.
8. Celebrating SALGA as a formidable, vibrant and robust voice and representative of municipalities in the Republic of South Africa, more particularly its growth and development over during the last five years, including:

The positioning of SALGA as a member centric organisation that supports and represents municipalities
The establishment of SALGA Women’s Commission to advance gender mainstreaming within the local government sector;
The instrumental role played by SALGA in promoting and profiling of good practices, innovations, knowledge sharing and peer learning;
The continuing improvement of SALGA’s advocacy and lobbying capacity towards fair and an equitable welfare and payment dispensation for local government public office bearers
The establishment of SALGA’s Centre for Leadership and Governance which is uniquely positioned to provide responsive capacity interventions and facilitate establishment of communities of practice; and
The increasing recognition of the leadership role of SALGA as a hub of expert knowledge and general information by members and key strategic players in the sector.
9. Affirming the commitment of the local government sector to contribute towards continuously improving and implementing all the pillars of the Back to Basics programme as to provide differentiated responsive hands on support to all and ensure operational efficacy, good governance as well as ensuring a reduced trust insufficiency amongst citizenry and municipalities.

NOW THEREFORE WE RESOLVE to:
Work with all spheres of government and relevant institutions to build resilient municipal institutions that are able to continue operating efficiently and effectively regardless of the challenges of transition
Accelerate our quest to ensure all municipalities are grounded in terms of the basics and indeed forge ahead towards building smart governance leveraging on the benefits offered by ICT
Declare to support all municipalities that have been identified to pilot the Integrated Urban Development Framework and to foster a systematic investment on the inherent interdependency between rural and urban spaces in our municipalities
To provide active support to all municipalities to ensure readiness in terms of transitional arrangements prior, during and post the forthcoming local government elections
Provide maximum support to councillors on their welfare related matters.

ACCORDINGLY, WE ADOPT the:
Organisational Report for the period 2017/18 of the Chairperson
Annual Report 2017/18
Annual Financial Statements for 2017/18
Annual Performance Plan and Budget for 2018/19

AND DECLARE as members of SALGA our commitment to the work still to be done by organised local government, in partnership with COGHSTA and our other stakeholders that we continue on with the good work and build on this foundation. It remains our collective resolve to increase our efforts to accelerate the pace of socio-economic transformation and in particular eradicate the stubborn backlogs of service delivery that still remain, create jobs and eradicate all forms of poverty amongst our communities.