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Former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau was unanimously elected as president of the SA Local Government Association (Salga) at the organisation’s fifth national conference last Thursday.
In trademark fashion, Tau, who recently also took up the cudgels at the United Cities and Local Governments association of local and regional authorities, had some unequivocal sentiments to share with delegates on the third and final day of the conference.
“The socioeconomic climate and context of high unemployment – particularly among the youth – as well as poverty and inequality pose particularly steep challenges to our development trajectory and threaten to erode the gains we have made in many areas,” he said.
He added that “inequality” and “exclusion” were causing “mounting pressure” on the public system, and listed “accessing opportunities, development and poverty alleviation” as the leading consequences of enduring “spatial injustice”.
Recognised globally for his insightful research into and grasp of urbanisation, Tau added that “ever-increasing population growth will only require more services, and will place additional demand on infrastructure services, housing and social facilities.”
According to Tau, “unity and cohesion in our resolve and commitment to work out the solutions using our collective expertise, knowledge and experience is the only way we can make significant inroads into the challenges confronting our people”.
In his efforts to seek smart-city solutions, Tau stressed that “we believe that we need to close the gap between the current reality and the sustainability we want by inspiring spatial transformation, economic growth and sustainability”.
Tau believes these objectives can be accomplished through the following objectives:
. Good governance;
. Resilient institutions;
. Financial stability;
. Services and infrastructure;
. Improving quality of life; and
. Access to opportunities.
To achieve this, however, “will require collaboration and building strategic and global partnerships for development through the United Cities and Local Governments association, and widening our partnerships network”, Tau said.
Tau urged councillors gathered in the main conference hall at the Sandton Convention Centre to heed the call of increased community demand.
He said: “As implementers and shapers of the future, it presents an opportune moment to reinvent ourselves to adapt and be responsive to the fast-changing environment.
“We must ensure that we do not allow the geopolitically divisive fissures currently bedevilling our world to cascade down to our level. If anything, we have to lead by example, and serve as a catalyst for unity at regional and global levels.”
Altogether, it set the scene for the announcement of the conference’s declaration that was earlier adopted by all 966 delegates from 219 member municipalities.
In principle, and as per Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s behest when he opened the conference last Tuesday, and particularly remembering that last Thursday was World Aids Day, the declaration read: “We pledge to lead the fight against HIV/Aids as undersigned by our commitment today and celebrate the relaunch of the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/Aids in Africa.”
The declaration states the delegates’ reaffirmation and commitment to the following international and national commitments:
. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda;
. The Sustainable Development Goals;
. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
. The Paris Agreement on climate change;
. The New Urban Agenda;
. The African Union Agenda 2063;
. The National Development Plan; and
. The Integrated Urban Development Framework.
More specifically, the delegates declared that they ‘resolve to take far-reaching and impactful actions to’:
. Consolidate the progress made over the past 16 years of democratic local government;
. Position local government at the centre of development in our changing, complex and interconnected world, and at the centre of our cooperative governance system;
. Embrace and lead change to achieve sustainable, inclusive economic growth and spatial transformation;
. Promote good governance and resilient municipal institutions; and
. Foster financial sustainability of local government and fiscal equity.
The declaration also lists several concerns, such as “the high turnover of councillors and senior management”, and “the failure to achieve gender equality despite the much-vaunted call for 50-50 equality of representation, particularly at ward level”.
In closing, the declaration stated that the delegates “resolve to take concrete and effective action, working with Parliament, and national and provincial government, to ensure the following reforms, premised on the belief that the constitutional rights and authority of local government must be respected, upheld and enhanced”.
Consequently, the following outcomes are called for:
. The passing of legislation for an incentive-based repeal of the historical (pre-1994 and post-1994) debt owed by citizens to municipalities (see box);
. Review the powers assigned to local government, including reviewing the powers of executive mayors, the powers of council, as well as functions assigned to the three categories;
. Review the Municipal Systems Act and the provisions that unduly encroach on the status, powers and functions of local government;
. The rationalisation and consolidation of the different sets of disciplinary codes for senior management in municipalities currently issued separately under National Treasury and the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs;
. The department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs and National Treasury to urgently address the challenges of minimum competency regulations, which create a closed loop of employment that results in a rapidly shrinking pool of expertise in the sector;
. Primary health, human settlements, social cohesion, food security and community safety to be local government functions;
. Review of the Organised Local Government Act of 1997 to recognise the nature and functioning of Salga as a unitary organisation, and review the constraining features of its provisions;
. Review of the 1997 legislation on funding of political parties by including the political parties at local government level to ensure coherence of policy on this matter;
. Review of equitable share formula to address the attendant constraints that impede and constrain local government’s ability to discharge its obligations and mandates;
. To bring about the necessary policy and legislative changes whereby local government has authority over the entire value chain (generation, distribution, reticulation, revenue management) for all trading services (water, sanitation, electricity, waste management and broadband infrastructure);
. Speedy resolution of the unregulated Eskom presence in electricity reticulation in municipalities, contrary to the constitutional mandate;
. Pooled financing mechanisms and innovative funding instruments for infrastructure financing;
. Restructuring of sector pension funds and the rationalisation and enhancement of options;
. Restructuring and or consolidation of the Municipal Councillors Pension Fund and potential consolidation and amalgamation with the public office bearers of other spheres; and
. Engage government and key role-players to ensure a more equitable councillor remuneration system.
Box:
Easily one of the most significant outcomes mooted at the declaration on the last day of the 5th Salga National Conference, is the local government organisation’s intention to seek legislation aimed at scrapping South Africa’s historical debt.
A figure of R119 billion owed to municipalities was bandied about during the conference.
Individually the following amounts are owed:
-R25.6 billion by businesses
-R6.4 billion by government departments
-R77.8 billion by households
Of the entire amount owed, it appears that only R23 billion could possible be collected.
Historical debt scrapping therefore could significantly lessen the burden on some municipalities.
