THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT ADDRESS BY EXECUTIVE MAYOR GG MPUMZA

Madam Speaker

Honorable Councilors

Honorable Members of Parliament and Legislature

Mayors and Speaker from Local Municipalities

Mayors and Speakers from Sister Municipalities

Distinguished Guests

Senior Management and Secretariat

Comrades and Compatriots

 

The greatest gift to give to communities is infrastructure as long term investment but any person/institution or organization that risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing.

Good Governance and Public Participation

Madam Speaker, the ANC local government election manifesto of 2006 committed the crop of councilors to strengthen local government to make it work better in speeding service delivery. The medium term strategic priorities of government had identified the central role for local government in achieving the goals and targets for universal access to basic services.

Political leadership and oversight has not been that robust and the municipality is emerging from the six month period under section 139 in the year 2009 arising from a financial distress position. Since then a range of policies to create an effective control environment have been developed and leadership and accountability has become business of the institution.

We have ensured that the adjusted budget in January has been adopted to address the Turnaround Plan as we were emerging from the six month section 139 period. The annual report and IDP/Budget process has gone well with full stakeholder participation leading to drafts adoption in March.

Madam Speaker as we strive to create systems to manage petitions or community concerns different forums have been established to allow public discourse in the form of IDP/Budget Representative, Mayoral/Council Imbizo, Annual Open Day Council and Alfred Nzo Memorial Lecture.

Strategic Partners

The Alfred Nzo District Municipality guided by the theme “Strengthening partnerships for growth and development” has forged partners with the following institutions:

• The Development Bank of Southern Africa along funding and institutional development.
• Independent Development Trust assisting with nodal project conceptualization
• Austrian Development Agency funded community capacity building.
• Swedish Ostersund Municipality a twining arrangement.

Institutional Systemic Issues

The audit outcomes have over the last three financial years indicted us with disclaimer to adverse on weak environmental controls. In response thereof leadership and oversight has been jacked up and the ICT strategy and policy coupled with intense user training  developed.

The ICT systems Samras, Dimms and VIP have been activated to their functional capacity to maximize their service delivery benefit and minimize their related potential risks.

Capacity Building and Institutional Transformation

We have developed the delegation framework policy to delegate power and authority to various structures of council that is political and management. In the same vein the individual performance management system for the senior and middle management is being put into full practice.

Madam Speaker, the municipality has developed the skills plan to sharpen the political and administrative managerial capacities to raise the level of performance. Councilors and officials have been trained in the following capacity building programs:

• The Logola Municipal Leadership Development – 17 councilors and 4 officials.
• WSU Executive Leadership Development – 4 councilors and 2 officials.
• Fort Hare Executive Leadership Development – 2 councilors
• Fort Hare MPA Program – 2 councilors.
• Swedish Local Democracy and Governance Program – 5 councilors and 1 official.
• King Hintsa IDP/LED NQ Level 4 Leadership Development – 4 councilors
• Public Admin. and MBA Loan Bursaries – 3 councilors
• Wits CMDP Program – 9 officials

Madam Speaker training and development has become synonymous with every developmental task that the municipality engages on to deliver services to the community. Ninety learners have undertaken training and development in the community NSF from the office of the Premier. Twelve officials have undergone training in State Protocol while 3 students have received bursaries to study at tertiary institutions.

The spatial planning services designed to address the urban foot print is severely constrained by land claims on commonage surrounding the urban fringes and the culture of dual urban livelihoods.

Development Planning and Local Economic Development

Honorable members, the spatial planning services to mark the urban foot print in towns is severely constrained by land claims on the commonage surrounding the urban areas. The situation is further compounded by the dual urban livelihoods.  Indicators to economic performance area paint a picture of the local economy heavily reliant on community services that contributes 67,2 % to the Gross Value Add and the second contributor being Trade at 13%. The economic downturn long before the world economic meltdown has hit a nose down with stagnation of the Goat project, Msukeni Development Enterprise and many other LED projects initiated by the municipality. The high vacancy rate and inadequate 5% MIG funding has restricted the building of local economic activity.

However the District Sanitation Program has made substantive interventions by providing job opportunities to dominantly 626 young men and women while the Expanded Public Works Program have absorbed 1 311 unemployed youth. The Community Works Program in partnership with TEBA Development has pushed the frontiers of poverty by creating 2 461 job opportunities through keyhole gardens while the livestock improvement program has reached 2 823 farmers.

In support and assistance to local municipalities together we have launched the clean town wherein 200 young women and men maintain and clean sewerage and storm water mains, grass cutting and landscaping.

Intervention has been made through massive grain production in Wards 9, 12, 20 in the Umzimvubu Local Municipality and Wards 6 and 22 in Matatiele.

The Supply Chain Management policy has to aggressively assist the SMME growth and development to plug the leak in the economy.

Community Development Service

Though inadequate resources have constrained us to move with speed to provide sufficient personnel and equipment to develop adequate pre-disaster mitigating strategies and post- disaster response capacity to reduce to a minimum the high vulnerability to disaster occurrences a measure of achievement has been made with setting up of disaster and Fire rescue satellite services in Mt Frere and Maluti.  We have been able to conduct disaster and fire awareness campaigns to schools and the larger community.

Infrastructure Development and Basic Services

The WSDP that covers 2008/2009 to 2012/20134 financial years has been developed as a roadmap to water services resource strategy.  Madam Speaker, the service providers on the VIP sanitation program have not performed to the satisfaction of the set targets but the review to speed service delivery has been done. We have completely eradicated the bucket system in our towns while alternative breakable toilet on wheels and biogas diversion are being explored so that the unlined toilet model we are implementing is in line with the water regime protocols and eco-friendly livable environments.

Water and electricity are the twin catalyst engines to economic and broader social development agenda. We have persisted to bring Eskom to make the necessary intervention to roll out electricity to schools, households and upgrade the sub-station capacity over the MTEF.

Water Conservation/demand management

Honorable members and esteemed guests, the municipality is currently running and maintaining 95 challenging rural water schemes, 5 regional bulk schemes, 4 water treatment works and 3 waste water treatment works.

 

Water conservation management has to be enhanced by escalating the installation of automatic meter systems, adequate customer care, integrated asset infrastructure management. In the month of March/April we conducted Council/Mayoral Outreach to specific Wards to raise awareness on water services payments and illegal connections. Water meter installations and billing have been undertaken and non-functional ones are being activated. We have the pleasure to report that Mt Frere meter installations has only two outstanding while its surrounds are infested with heavy illegal connections that weigh heavily on water reticulation to deserving law abiding citizens.

Water Services Provisioning

Madam Speaker, we have since the beginning of the financial year began implementing new water schemes using diverse strategies and technologies that mitigate climate change. Believing that nature is a valuable tool to build sustainable communities, rain water tank harvesting in Ward 14 and cloud or fog harvesting in Cabazana, Ward 1 are the success stories to tell.

We have either launched, turned a sod or handed over the following schemes to better the lives of the people;

• The R65 million Fobane sub-regional water scheme
• The R5 million Tholamela water supply
• The R13 million Nomkholokotho water supply
• The R 43 million Mvenyane water supply
• The R 42 million Ramohlakoena sewerage
• The R 12 million Cerdaville sewerage upgrade
• The R 5 million Caba- Mdeni water supply
• The R4 million Hlane water supply
• The R50 million Maluti/ Matatiele water supply
• The R103 million Kwa Baca regional bulk

 

 

These intervention are gradual but surely making a huge dent to reverse high statistical 67 878 households with no access to water in our region. In partnership with Department of Water Affairs and Environment we undertook a bulk infrastructure regional water research study to dam the rivers Kinirha for Matatiele, Mkemane for Mt Frere and Sirhoqobeni for Mt Ayliff. The study points a need for R1,5 billion to create the dams.

Integrated Passenger Transport Plans

Madam Speaker, in line with the vision 2050 Transport Master Plan of the National Department of Transport we have developed the Integrated Transport Plan that has prioritized the following Provincial road network, DR0 17, DR0 12, DR0646 for surfacing. Guided by the philosophy that  “Transport is the heart of the economy” connectivity shall be increased with such road infrastructure upgrade and the informal transport economy, the taxi shall continue to dominate the transport mode.

Moving Forward

The Municipal Turnaround Strategy shall as we move towards 2011 elections address the following:

• Provide adequate skills capacity in financial management
• Enhance revenue/debt collection enforcement of the over 120 day R13 million
• Build and enhance the construction plant revenue
• Obtain clean audit outcomes in 2011.
• Build strong institutional systems for water conservation/demand management
• Strengthen the disaster and Fire rescue capacity by installing fire hydrants
• Develop and implement an anti-crime prevention plan.
• The GDS resolutions had called for a forestry summit and preparations have to begin

Madam Speaker, we humble ourselves and doff our hats and aprons to Andile Jali who has risked his talent to the Bafana Bafana, ARE YOU FEELING IT?

Thank you.

ANDM AND ASGISA-EC DEVELOP RURAL AREAS—R7 MILLION PROJECT LAUNCHED

Nokulunga Makholwa was one of hundreds of jobless youth in Alfred Nzo District Municipality, in the Eastern Cape. Feeding her two young children presented a daily challenge. But all that changed for the young 28-year-old, with the rollout of a grain project at Dangwana Village outside Mount Frere.

Makholwa is one of the community members taking part in the rural Grain Production project in Dangwana Village, which is part of the Districts food production programme.

This Grain production projects was launched by MEC Mbulelo Sogoni and MEC Mcebisi Jonas in front of over two hundred people.

The project focuses on the grain production in which ASGISA-EC and ANDM played a major role in assisting.
Makholwa said that before the opportunity arose to work on the project, she used to go to bed at night with an empty stomach. But that is no longer the case.

“I’m now a person just like other people who are able to support their children and sleep with full stomachs, the project has saved my life,” she said.

The rollout of the project was hastened after the district was hit by severe unemployment.
The district decided on the grain production as it can stand the harsh weather conditions in the area.

The project, which was also meant to address the high rate of unemployment within the district, is on a large barren of land made available by the district.

It is run by a project steering committee with the communities making sure that they work themselves in the fields.

During a visit to the actual site, MEC Sogoni encouraged the community to continue with the good work they are doing.

“No one else will work for you in these fields either than your selves. We as government are committed in assisting in any form to make sure that this project does not fail. It is also imperative that you also guard this as it is your livelihood” MEC Sogoni said.

The target group for employment includes women, youth and community members in the villages.