Local Newsletter - Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Local NewsOFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOURTH QUARTER ISSUE NO. 4• LED HOSTS AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS• STORM WREAK HAVOC IN DUNDONALD• PREMIER MABUZA DECLARES HOUSE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS OPENED• GOVERNMENT COMMITED TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL ELECTIONS• MINISTER SHICEKA URGES KING MABHOKO TO DEVELOP HIS NATION• EX-SPEAKER TAKES OVER THE REIGNS AS MAYOR FOR MKHONDO MUNICIPALITY

TABLE OF CONTENTSEditorial Comment..........................................................................1MEC’s Foreword....................................................................................2Message from the Office of the HOD...................................................3Premier Mabuza Declares House of Traditional Leaders Opened....4Minister Shiceka urges King Mabhoko to Develop his People..........5LED hosts Australian Students............................................................6Provincial Government Focuses on Strengthening Municipalities.7Premier Hands Over Vehicles to Emakhosi .....................................8Department in Action ...........................................................................9/10Ex-Speaker takes over the reins as Mayor in Mkhondo....................11Storm wreak havoc in some parts of Mpumalanga...........................12CDWs Trained to Serve the People.....................................................13Government Commited to Ensure Successful Elections................14EDITORIAL COMMENTWe wish to commend the Disaster Management team in the departmentfor acting expeditiously in the distribution of relief materialto the victims of the storm disaster in the Albert Luthuli, andBushbuckridge Municipalities.The Disaster Management Section, monitored the situation witha hawk’s eye for a speedy response in the case of any casualty.They also embarked on an information campaign to warn communitiesabout the dangers of the storm. We send condolencesto the families of the two victims who died in Dundonald in theAlbert Luthuli Municipality and two who died in Songani in BushbuckridgeMunicipality due to the storms. May their souls rest inpeace.The department commends the decision of the Banking Sectorto repair the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) that were vandalizedin the different Thusong Service Centres (TSCs).The ATMs were bombed by criminals who were hell-bent oncommitting crime, robbing our people an opportunity to use the1Local News.much-needed facility to access services. Although the. ATMs are prone to vandalism, however, we wish to inform. the Banking Sector that the department has committed itselfto putting security measures in place to ward off crimi-.nals in the TSCs... As the government’s rural development plan gains momentum,the department, which is the custodian of tradi-.tional leadership, is training Emakhosi for the realization of.the plan. The recent graduation of Emakhosi who attended. training on Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and LocalEconomic Development (LED) is the end result of the.. department’s plan. We wish Emakhosi success as they putinto practice what they have learnt... The department wishes Chief Mathupa Lameck Mokoena,. Chief Hlungu Richard Nkosi and Chief Roy Abneri Nkosisuccess in their new roles as members of the Provincial.House of Traditional Leaders (HTL). They assumed their. responsibilities as members after a swear-in ceremony. conducted by Judge President Ngoepe of the High Court. in Pretoria.. As we prepare for the Local Government elections, we. wish to appeal to all the potential voters to make use of the. opportunity to cast the ballot for the consolidation of democracy.Voting forms part of public participation on governanceissues. Local Government is a vital cog in the de-..velopmental state machinery and it is where most people. have direct and frequent contact with government services..The department is determined to be a centre of excellence..Working together we can do more to make that vision a. reality..The department welcomes the new employees who have.joined the department during the last Financial year. As. Public servants, imbibed with the spirit of service delivery,. we believe that you will take the lead in championing theservice delivery agenda of the department for the benefit.of our people...............................................Disclaimer. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarilyreflect those of Mpumalanga Provincial Gov-.ernment, the MEC for Co-operative Governance and.Traditional Affairs, neither does it reflect views of the. management. Although care has been taken to verifythe accuracy of information, the edutorial team of this.publication takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy...................................................We would like to hear from youSend your comments and suggestions to the editor onthe following e-mail: gpmthethwa@mpg.gov.za. Visitour website: http//cgta.mpg.gov.za. Call us at: 013 7666572

HON MEC, MR MB MASUKU (MPL)March 2010 officially marks the end of the current Local GovernmentAdministration that came into office in 2006. We have helda 5 year Local Government Review Summit to take stock of theachievements made since 2006. Huge achievements have beenmade in strengthening local government over the past five years.Today many more people have access to electricity, water, basicsanitation and housing. We acknowledge that much more canstill be done and we are confident that the administration that willcome in after the local government elections on 18 May 2011 willbuild on the achievements made by their predecessors.President Jacob Zuma has declared 2011 as the year of job creationthrough economic growth. During his State of the NationAddress, he charged all government institutions including StateOwned Enterprises to also make this a reality. The private sectoris also an important partner in this mission.The President’s declaration was also echoed by Premier DavidMabuza in his State of the Province Address. The President’s callcomes at the time when we are hard at work, putting mechanismsin place that will engineer municipalities to respond to the servicedelivery challenges. We are quite certain that the ground work hasbeen done to put municipalities at the point where they can respondpositively to the President’s call. The signing of deliveryagreements with Executive Mayors is one such example.As the declaration by the President gains momentum, municipalitiesmust start reflecting on what has been achieved in the area ofjob creation. Our assessment on the ground indicates that thereare potential opportunities that we can leverage on to make thisa reality. Already municipalities are contributing to job creationthrough the awarding of contracts and tenders to Small, MediumEnterprises (SMMEs). This can be harnessed into major job opportunities,as these businesses create them.Local NewsMEC’s FOREWORD2We have noted with enthusiasm the outcome of the research byTreasury over the awarding of contracts, sourced from municipalitiesin Mpumalanga, which indicate that a total of 144 contractsto the value of more than R 900 million have been awarded since2004. Of this, 10% of the bids, constituting 13% of the monetaryvalue, were awarded to Historically Disadvantaged Individuals(HDIs) with no franchise. 43% of the bids, constituting 38% ofthe monetary value, were awarded to women. 37% of the bids,constituting 41% of the monetary value, were awarded to blackcompanies.The President has also charged us to fill in all vacancies. Thedepartment will identify critical vacant posts and they will be prioritisedfor filling. We will also move closer to the municipal spaceto assist municipalities to carry out the President’s instructions.Lack of capacity, is often cited as one of the challenges that inhibitservice delivery at local government level, so this will be an opportunityto address the challenge. We have a number of graduateswho are battling to crack into the job market, so as we respond tothe President’s call, we appeal to the municipalities to considerthese graduates, even in the form of internships.The outstanding debt owed to municipalities remains a major areaof concern, and this is crippling municipalities. Some of these municipalities,have a low revenue base. Some are also struggling tooff-set debts owed to Eskom. A total of R74.4 million is owed to ourmunicipalities and this is unacceptable. Breaking this figure down,reveals the following:• Gert Sibande District is owed R23.2 million;• Ehlanzeni District is owed R38.2 million;• Nkangala District is owed R12,9 millionOf great concern is that some of the money is owed by governmentdepartments.The department through the inter-governmentalstructures will put the matter on the agenda so that it can receivethe attention it deserves.Our resolve to support the institution of Traditional Leadership remainsunwavering. We have recently witnessed the inaugurationof King Makhosoke II of aManala for the Ndebele nation and KingMabhoko III of amaNdebele akaNdzundza, as part of implementingthe pronouncements of the Nhlapho Commission on Claimsand Disputes. During the Back-to-School campaign, I visited Magwagwazaand Magigwana Secondary Schools in Bushbuckridgeand was inspired by the level of confidence demonstrated by thelearners. I would like to join the Premier, Mr David Mabuza andmembers of the Provincial Cabinet by encouraging learners toremain focused in their studies. Government is doing everythingpossible to assist them, particularly in that area of the provincewhich was continuously under-performing. I believe that the bestweapon to defeat poverty is education.On the same vein, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2010for making the grade in the Matric examinations. We hope that youwill take advantage of government’s financial boost to the educationand training sector, in which R14 million has been set asidefor this purpose, as announced by Finance Minister, Dr PravinGodhan. We also encourage those who did not pass, not to despairbut to increase their work rate as they prepare to rewrite theexaminations.

Local NewsPREMIER MABUZA DECLARES HOUSE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS OPENEDIN THE HOUSE: Premier Mabuza and MEC Masuku share a moment with traditional leaders after the official opening of the House ofTraditional Leaders in the Legislature.The legislature building in the Riverside government complex, becamea hive of activities during a special sitting to mark the officialopening of the house of traditional leaders, by the Premier, Mr DavidMabuza. The official sitting, was marked by fanfare at the GovanMbeki Foyer, with Kings and members of the Traditional Councilsmaking a grand entrance. Next to the red carpet, at the pavilion,leading to the entrance of the foyer, a traditional dance group, witha marimba beat, entertained guests before the start of the function.The arrival of Premier Mabuza, accompanied by the SAPS BrassBand and King Mabhoko III afterwards, became the montage of thesitting. For Premier Mabuza, this was the second time to declare theHouse of Traditional Leaders opened, while for King Mabhoko III,this was his first time to attend the sitting.The House of Traditional Leaders (HTL) plays an oversight role ongovernment’s performance on issues related to the traditional institution.The government has committed itself to support it to playthis role effectively. Last year, Premier Mabuza promised the HTLthat vehicles will be purchased for Emakhosi to enable them to performtheir duties. This year, the Premier announced the delivery ofthe vehicles, much to the excitement of the traditional leaders. “Inline with providing this support it was important that we set up thenecessary guidelines and frameworks that will guide the supportthat we will be providing. Cabinet has approved the Policy on Toolsof Trade for Traditional Leaders. The Policy covers the provision ofvehicles, furniture and Human Resource Support. I am pleased toannounce that as part of the support we have bought 57 vehiclesfor traditional leaders. We will be handing them over to you immediatelyafter the sitting,” Mr Mabuza said.As government steps up the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS,traditional leaders have been identified as a key to the fight. MrMabuza appealed to the traditional leaders to mobilize people toparticipate in programmes aimed at reducing the disease. “We urgeyou to encourage people in areas of your jurisdiction to do voluntary4testing for them to know their status. We appeal to you to encouragemales to do circumcision. By so doing, you will be helping us aswe wage the war against HIV/AIDS,” the Premier said. Mr Mabuzaassured the HTL about government’s commitment to improve itsworking relationship with Emakhosi. He added that this is importantfor the development and improvement of the economic status ofareas in their jurisdiction. “I want to assure this gathering that theMpumalanga Provincial Government remains committed to workingwith Traditional Leaders to strengthen the working relations onmatters of governance. We also remain committed to working withTraditional Leaders to bring about development in rural areas. Wewill walk this journey together and indeed working together we canand we will do more,” he added.At the end of the sitting, Premier Mabuza and MEC for Co-operativeGovernance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Mr Madala Masukuled the procession of traditional leaders to the Mbombela Stadiumwhere they handed over the 57 vehicles purchased for them.ROYAL PARLIAMENT: King Mlambo II of Mbuzini andChief Makhosonkhe Dlamini of Embhuleni in Badplaas attended theofficial opening of the HTL in the Legislature.

Local NewsLED HOSTS AUSTRALIAN STUDENTSbuilding social cohesion and redressing under-developmentin the densely populatedrural communities.INFORMATIVE SESSION: Ehlanzeni District’s Ms Nontobeko Mahlalela and LED’s Ms LidiaPretorius teach Australian students during their visit.Although the students have been visitingMpumalanga since 2002, however, it wasfor the first time that their visit included aninteraction with government officials. At theend of the visit, the students described theinteraction as knowledge enrichment, andapplauded the LED Section. “This was aserious omission in the past, and that theinteraction had provided us with a betterunderstanding of the linkages between theory,policy and practice, and the challengesdeveloping countries such as South Africaface in halving poverty and unemploymentand achieving the other Millennium DevelopmentGoals,” said the visitors afterwards.A group of post graduate geography studentsand lecturers from Monash Universityin Melbourne, Australia, recently visitedMpumalanga Province on a two weekstudy tour. The twenty three students andthree lecturers were accompanied by stafffrom the Monash University satellite campusin Roodepoort, Gauteng, Prof JaneCarruthers of UNISA and Mr Chris Williams,a land rights activist from Mpumalanga. Theentourage visited land restitution and communityprojects, the Makhonjwa mountainsand other tourist attractions in Ehlanzeni.local economic development, participatorygovernance, the role of traditional leadershipin rural development, the Maputo DevelopmentCorridor, how policies translateinto service delivery and development onthe ground, among others, formed part ofthe agenda.Particular focus also fell on the challengesfacing the province in redressing thelegacy of apartheid as it pertains to spatialplanning,A tour of the Mpumalanga Legislature andthe Ehlanzeni District Municipality wherethey learnt more about the GIS and districtspatial framework, also became the hallmark of the visit. Lidia says the visit alsoprovided a valuable opportunity for MpumalangaProvince to explore further collaborationwith Monash University in future.During the visit, the students interacted withLocal Economic Development’s Ms LidiaPretorius and officials from the Departmentof Economic, Development, EnvironmentalAffairs and Tourism and EhlanzeniDistrict Municipality. Discussions centeredaround contextualising their impressionsand discussions over the previous weekwith various communities, civic leaders andtraditional leaders, predominantly withinBushbuckridge and Nkomazi within thelegislative, planning and service deliveryframework of government.Topics such as powers and functions ofthe three spheres of government, cooperativegovernance, the evolving environmentof local governance, spatial environment,integrated development planning,SPELL BOUND: Australian students take keen interest of discussions during the visit.6

Local NewsPROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT FOCUSES ONSTRENGTHENING MUNICIPALITIES IN 2011/12Last year, the Department of Co-operative Governance andTraditional Affairs (Cogta) organized a watershed Local Governmentlekgotla which took place in Secunda where ProvincialMunicipal Turn Around Strategy (MTAS) was developed andimplemented. A ten point plan was also developed and implemented.In his speech, Mr Mabuza said: “We will continue tostrengthen systems of public participation so that communitiescan participate meaningfully in development and service deliveryprogrammes. We will continue to enhance the functioningof ward committees in order to mobilize local participation inmatters of development and service delivery.”COMMITMENT: Steve Tshwete’s Executive Mayor, Cllr ManthlakengMahlangu signs a delivery agreement.Strengthening the performance of municipalities and public participationis top on the priority list of the Government in Mpumalanga.This is the central message of Premier David Mabuza onlocal government in his State of the Province Address (SOPA)recently. The commitment by Premier Mabuza sends a strongsignal that government is planning to tackle challenges that bedevilthe proper functioning of municipalities head on. In hisaddress, Mr Mabuza said the following interventions will be implementedto make municipalities to work better in the 2011/12Financial year:The five year term of the current local government leadershipwhich started in 2006 is coming to an end, paving the way for anew leadership that will be ushered in after the Local Governmentelections scheduled for 18 May 2011. Mr Mabuza said althoughgovernment acknowledges the problems faced by municipalities,however, in the main, the challenges are attendedto. He said the main challenges stem from the reality that somemunicipalities are unsustainable because they have a low revenuebase, and rely heavily on grants and external assistance.Despite the challenges, he commended some councilors andofficials for working diligently. “In addition, the majority of ourcouncilors have served our people with honesty and integrity.As the provincial government we commend and thank thesediligent and true servants of the people. We also congratulateand acknowledge many municipalities that are fully functionaland where Councilors and officials are doing their best to improveservice delivery,” the Premier said.Executive Mayors have signed a delivery agreement in line withthe government’s outcome-based approach. Cogta continues toplay a supporting role to the municipalities while the Premier’soffice continues to monitor and evaluate their performance.• Strengthening integrated planning and acceleratedimplementation• Financial management• Integrated municipal support through the enhancementand improvement of technical skills, planning, contractmanagement, engineering, finance and project management• The development of an action support programme forMunicipalities for pre and post Local Government elections• Building confidence in the local government system, includingthe deployment of financial resources in criticalareas of need.DEAL: MEC Madala Masuku signs a Delivery agreement.7

Local NewsPREMIER HANDS OVER VEHICLES TOEMAKHOSIINTERVENTION: Kgosigadi Mohlala receives keys for her vehicle from Premier David Mabuza at the Mbombela Stadium.The Department of Co-operative Governanceand Traditional Affairs (Cogta)has fulfilled its commitment to purchasevehicles for Emakhosi in Mpumalanga.The commitment was made last year byPremier David Mabuza during the officialopening of the House of Traditional Leadersin the legislature. This year, the Premierannounced a plan for the hand overof the vehicles during the official openingof the house in the legislature. “We willcontinue to provide the necessary supportto traditional leaders to enable themto perform their functions as expected.We have now concluded a policy on toolsof trade for traditional leadership in theprovince. We are pleased to announcethat as part of implementing the provisionsof such policy, we have acquiredthe vehicles. Vehicles that you havebeen waiting for, for a long time, as yougo home today, you will be driving newvehicles,” said Mr Mabuza.The announcement was met with a rapturousapplause by traditional leaders,who were later given the vehicles atthe Mbombela Stadium, by Premier DavidMabuza, accompanied by MEC forCogta, Mr Madala Masuku, the Speakerof the Legislature, Mr William Lubisi andformer MEC for Cogta, Mr Norman Mokoena.The function to hand over thevehicles was also attended by membersof the Royal families and TraditionalCouncils, Head of Department, Mr DavidMahlobo, Chairperson of the ProvincialHouse of Traditional Leaders, Ikosi SiphoMahlangu.During the hand over, Premier Mabuzaappealed to traditional leaders to use thevehicles for amongst others, addressingthe socio-economic issues facingtheir communities. Ikosi Sipho Mahlanguwas the first recipient of the vehicle followedby his Deputy, Kgosigadi Mohlala.Ikosi Mahlangu expressed gratitude toPremier Mabuza and Mr Masuku for thesupport. He also committed traditionalleaders to use the vehicles to reach outto their communities in response to thePremier’s call. “Mr Premier, we want toassure you that as Amakhosi, we wouldlike to utilize the vehicles to mobilize ourpeople in the fight against the spread ofHIV/AIDS. As Amakhosi, we share thecommon vision in the fight against thespread of the disease,” he said.8The purchase of the vehicles for Emakhosifollows the renovation of the Traditionaloffices last year by Cogta. The departmenthas committed itself to renovatethe remaining Traditional Councils duringthe 2011/12 financial year.CELEBRATION: Chief Siboshwa Ngomanedisplays the keys of the vehicle during thefunction at the stadium.

Local NewsCOGTA In ActionGOING LIVE: Ligwalagwala FM’s Presenter, Mr Bheki Nxumalo discussesdisaster management issues with Water Affairs’ Mr FanyanaMntambo, Cogta’s Mr Slykie Dhludhlu and Mr Sam Ngubane duringa Current Affairs programme.ON AIR: Ligwalagwala FM’s technical team, Mr FransVilakazi and Ms Nomcebo Khulu monitors the digital desk for asmooth broadcast of the Current Affairs programme during the interviewto discuss disaster management issues.PARTNERSHIP: King Mabhoko III of the Nzunza clan andMEC Madala Masuku wait for the start of proceedings ahead of theMinisterial visit to the King in Kwamhlanga.COMMUNICATION CHANNEL: Ehlanzeni District’s Mr LuckyNgomane and Mbombela Municipality’s Mr Joseph Ngala sharetheir views during a Communicators’ workshop in Middleburg.DANCING SKILLS: Cogta’s Mr Mangisi Mnisi takes part in atraditional dance during a Ministerial visit to King Mabhoko III inKwamhlanga.SUPPORT: Cogta’s Mr Bhobert Nkosi and Mr Abednigo Mkhatshwamarvel at proceedings during the CDWs function at Mzinti.9

Local NewsDELIVERY: Premier David Mabuza congratulates Chief Malaza ofMandlamakhulu Traditional Council as one of the recipients of thevehicles purchased by the government at the Mbombela StadiumHONORARY: Emalahleni Executive Mayor, Cllr Lassy Nhlapo congratulateone of the Ward Committe members during a graduationceremony at the Civic Theatre in Emalahleni.INTRODUCTION: Cogta’s Mr Isaac Chiloane outlines the purposeof a workshop on HIV/AIDS in Building 8.The workshop wasorganised by the Transversal Section to caution officials about thedangers of the disease.DRESSED TO WORK: Mr Vusi Maseko, a Community DevelopmentWorker receives a jacket from the HOD Mr David Mahloboduring a Strategic meeting in White River, while Ms HlangananiNkosi looks on.CULTURAL MIX: Chief Makhosonke Dlamini of Embhuleniwelcomes King Makhosoke II of AmaNdebele during a traditionalpilgrimage in Badplaas.INFORMATIVE: MEC Madala Masuku talks to the SABC’s RegionalEditor, Mr Isaac Masemola in an interview about the state of municipalitiesin Mpumalanga.10

Local NewsEX-SPEAKER TAKES OVER THE REIGNS AS MAYOR IN MKHONDOMUNICIPALITYNEW BEGINING: Mkhondo Municipal Mayor, Cllr Philisiwe Langa delivers her inauguration speech in the Council Chamber.The Administrator, Mr Khaya Mpungose looks on.The former Speaker of Mkhondo Local Municipality,Cllr Philisiwe Langa has been appointed as the new ExecutiveMayor. Her appointment comes at the time when the municipalityhas gained stability following service delivery protests by thelocal communities last year. The protests caused the ProvincialExecutive to place the municipality under Administration, in linewith Section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution.The communities in the Mkhondo Municipality have an array ofservice delivery challenges which the Mayor and the new MayoralCommittee have to overcome. The infrastructure such asroads, need an urgent intervention. The potholes in the seat ofthe municipality, Piet Retief, featured prominently in the Mayor’sinaugural speech. This is a sign that the Mayor is ready to dealwith the challenges head on. “We will ensure that the potholesthat have become a feature of our towns are closed. The overallstate of our roads will be given more attention. The supply ofwater and provision of sanitation services will also be on ourradar screen,” Cllr Langa said.The Mkhondo Municipality was amongst the five municipalitiesin Mpumalanga to be placed under Administration. During thatperiod, a number of officials and councilors were either dismissedor resigned, when investigations were carried out onallegations of corruption and maladministration.This exercise was hailed by the Executive Mayor as a sign ofcommitment towards clean governance. “Within this vein, we11also cannot help but observe the fact that the intervention assistedin bringing about stability and in investigating and prosecutingvarious wrongdoers in management and in Council,hence a significant number of our Councillors and managerswere either dismissed or resigned under a cloud. What a clearcommitment to clean government by the ANC-led government!,”she commended. As the plan to build a fully-fledged Universityfor Mpumalanga gets underway, the Mkhondo Municipality isalso gearing itself to reap the fruits of the construction. TheMayor says the municipality is an ideal place for part of theplan. “It is our resolve that we will seek to attract and retain thebest skills and talents that will advance Mkhondo Municipality.In so doing, we will also seek ways and means of identifyingand nurturing our own home-grown talent. Such projects as theestablishment of an Agriculture and Forestry Campus of theproposed University of Mpumalanga and the establishment of abio-diesel plant within Mkhondo Municipality will be high on ouragenda, as we vigorously campaign and lobby for them to cometo our municipality,” she said.In line with succession, Cllr Langa’s predecessors are CllrMary Khumalo and Cllr Andries Gamede who is the currentMayor of the Gert Sibande District. As the municipality opensa new chapter, the new Mayor also credited the Administrator,Mr Khaya Mpungose and the team of officials from the Departmentof Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs forplaying a pivotal role in putting systems in place as part of astrategy to turn the municipality around.LpStleDdpwDtmClidnowfaEbtpInbar

Local NewsSTORM WREAK HAVOC IN DUNDONALDDEVASTATION: The Syde Primary School was left with no roof top when a tornado ravaged Dundonald.Local residents of Dundonald in the Albert Luthuli Local Municipalitybeared the brunt of a storm which left a trail of devastation.Several families were left homeless as the storm blew away rooftops of their houses. The affected families had to salvage what wasleft as their furniture and other belongings were also blown away.Domestic animals became casualties. Several goats, chicken anddogs were found dead while others sustained injuries. Electricitypoles were swept away due to the persistent rain, leaving residentswithout power. Trees were uprooted.Dundonald is amongst the five locations affected by the storm inthe Albert Luthuli Municipality. Three schools, namely: Syde PrimarySchool, Umhlangazane Secondary School and VygeboomCombined School were badly damaged. Two people lost theirlives in separate incidents. Other areas in which the storm causeddamage are: Sandleni, Schoeman, Diepdale and Fernie, leavingninety-seven households without shelter. The Department of CooperativeGovernance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) teamed upwith the Albert Luthuli Municipality to provide support for the affectedfamilies after paying a visit to assess the extent of the damage.The families were provided with tents.Let me use this opportunity to announce that Government hasset aside R800 million for immediate relief to assist communities.”President Zuma further extended condolences to the families ofthose who lost their lives and commended relief agencies, nongovernmentalorganisations, private sector, religious organisationsand communities for assisting those in need.The Department appeals to communities to report any disaster intheir area by phoning the following Disaster Toll Free number: 0800202 507Elsewhere in the Nkangala District, the R55 bridge which link Witbankand Middleburg suffered major defects, posing a huge riskto use it. Traffic was diverted to the N4 toll road, to prevent anypotential danger.In his state of the Nation address, President Jacob Zuma announceda relief aid by government to assist communities struckby disasters. He told the nation: “As we prepare for elections, wealso note that our country has been struck by devastating floods inrecent weeks, and many families have been affected.POWERLESS: Residents were left without power when electricitypoles were swept away by the storm.12

Local NewsCDWsTRAINED TO SERVE THE PEOPLEwhere the people live, understands theirneeds and responds faster, adding thatgovernment must work faster, harder andsmarter,” he said. Cllr Nhlapo added thatwe need to do an introspection and askourselves how far we have gone towardsimproving service delivery for the people,facilitating community development andworking towards sustainable economicand social upliftment.He further hinted that today many of ourmost marginalized people have had theirstories told and an improvement broughtto their lives, which would not have beenpossible without the CDW programme.“Today many of our grandmothers,grandfathers orphans and disabled areable to access social grants irrespectiveof where they are, many of those whoneed health services are able to accessthem through Home Based Care or MobileClinics and many more have beenable to get houses and other services,”Cllr Nhlapho said.HONORARY: EMalahleni Executive Mayor, Cllr Lesley Nhlapo confirms Ms Mapule Masekoas a Community Development Worker during a graduation ceremony at the Civic TheatreThe Department of Cooperative Governanceand Traditional Affairs’ efforts toensure that every ward has a CommunityDevelopment Workers (CDWs) havebeen realized when 95 of them attendeda graduation function at the eMalahleniCivic Theatre. The ceremony was attendedby Executive Mayors, representativesof the Department of Public Serviceand Administration (DPSA), Councillors,Ward Committee members, officials fromMunicipalities and various governmentdepartments.Addressing the function, the ExecutiveDirector for Amachawe FET College,Dr William Ndlala urged the graduatesto take advantage of the learning opportunitiesthat government is providing.“Skills development, capacity buildingand community leadership are importantfor CDWs as it will enable them to servetheir communities well,” Dr Ndlala said.The graduation of the 95 graduates willsee the number of CDWs increasingto 399 in Mpumalanga. The CDW programmewas initiated by government in2003 and it has grown from strength tostrength and its key focus is to bring governmentcloser to the people. As the footsoldiers of government and service deliveryagents, the role of CDWs is to makesure that people, especially the marginalized,the aged and rurally-based peoplehave access to services.Speaking on behalf of MEC for CorporateGovernance and Traditional Affairs,Mr Madala Masuku, the Executive Mayorof eMalahleni Local Municipality, CllrLesley Nhlapho said through the CDWprogramme, government has been ableto give true meaning to President JacobZuma’s statement when he delivered the2010 State of the Nation Address. “PresidentZuma said that the defining featureof this administration will be that it knowsCDWs are expected to perform their dutieswith passion about community development.They are also expected to knowpeople better and their circumstancesand deepen insight into people’s needsand resource and have good interpersonalskills so that they interact easilywith them based on their cultural backgrounds.CATALYSTS OF CHANGE: A groupof Community Development Workersattended the graduation ceremony atEMalahleni’s Civic Theatre.13

Preparations are well underway for thecoming local government elections,scheduled for 18 May 2011. The electionswill mark the end of the five year term ofthe current local government leadershipwhich started in 2006. However sporadicservice delivery protests have charecterisedmunicipalities during the past twoyears. This has prompted the governmentto introduce a turn around strategyknown as Municipal Turn Around Strategiesto address the sources of thosechallenges.President Jacob Zuma had this to sayduring the State of the Nation address inFebruary 2011 about local governmentsystem: “There have been lots of complaintsover the past few months aboutlocal government. The frustrations insome areas resulted in protests which indicatedthe problems that existed in thissphere. We have to make people’s experienceof local government a pleasantone, as it touches their homes and theirlives directly, every day”.Since the election date was declared, theIndependent Electoral Commission (IEC)has been hard at work mobilizing potentialvoters to register and to cast theirballots. Mpumalanga Premier, Mr DavidMabuza has joined the fray by appealingto voters to vote. “We need to ensurethat the challenges of service deliveryare addressed in a systematic, more determinedand transparent manner at alltimes working to involve communitiesin resolving problems and overcomingwhatever obstacles that may exist. Wehave the power and means to make localgovernment work better,” Mr Mabuzasaid during the State of the Province address.Local NewsGOVERNMENT COMMITED TO ENSURESUCCESSFUL ELECTIONSsuch as Home Affairs, Public Works,Roads and Transport, Safety, Securityand Community Liaison and Departmentof Water Affairs to ensure the success ofthe elections, based on its mandate as‘the single window of co-ordination. Cogta’sofficials, Community DevelopmentWorkers (CDWs), whose number hasincreased to 399 have a bigger role toplay, chief amongst them, to assist peoplewithout IDs to obtain them from theHome Affairs. CDWs are also expectedto assist the Home Affairs by identifyingowners of ID documents that lie in theirhundreds uncollected, and distributethem.Cogta is home to Home Affairs offices inthe 14 Thusong Service Centres (TSCs)managed by Cogta.Step 4:Implementation ofdevelopment projects.The two departments signed a servicelevel agreement which gave rise to aworking relationship between the twodepartments. As the momentum for theelections grow, the relationship is key asCogta has to create a conducive environmentfor Home Affairs to provide theservice.Generally, local government elections inSouth Africa do not enjoy popular supportcompared to the national elections, despitetheir importance. Experts say localgovernment is important as it is the firstinstitution that people have contact withon issues of service delivery. The electionsgive the voter the power to have asay on governance issues that have adirective impact over their lives. (See illustrationbelow).Step 1:Local GovernmentElection (to vote for aWard Councillor)Step 2:Ward Councillororganizes public meetingsto discuss servicedelivery and developmentissues throughIDP consultation processas part of Publicparticipation.The success of the elections also hitcheson government’s support. In Mpumalanga,the department of Co-operative Governanceand Traditional Affairs (Cogta) isworking closely with sector departments,Step 3:Ward Councillor tablespublic inputs to councilfor adoption.14