To achieve rapid and inclusive growth, South Africa must address struggling municipalities and appoint qualified professionals to top positions.

This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who delivered a televised Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) on Thursday evening.

‘Growth happens at a local level, where people live and work,’ the President said.

The Head of State took the time to outline the government’s agenda, priorities, and policies for the next five years in a joint sitting of the newly constituted two Houses of Parliament.

The Opening of Parliament signifies the formal start of the parliamentary year following the May 29 General Elections.

President Ramaphosa said municipalities should provide social services and promote inclusive economic growth.

‘They must work to attract investment. This approach can encourage businesses to expand and create more jobs in municipal areas. Investors are attracted to areas with reliable and modern infrastructure.’

eThekwini municipality

The President a
lso spoke at length about the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which is currently under the Presidential Working Group, to enhance support from the national and provincial government and turn the metro around.

‘When I visited eThekwini earlier this year, I met with residents of the city, with local business leaders and municipal officials. They told me that they wanted to work together to build a city that they could be proud of again.’

He said the group was working around the clock to fix the problems in water and sanitation to attract new investment.

‘We will extend the same approach to other metropolitan cities that face serious challenges so that our cities can be engines of growth and dynamic centres of opportunity.

‘eThekwini must be restored to its former glory,’ he stressed.

Simplifying and speeding up planning and regulatory processes can make it easier for businesses to invest and operate in a municipality, thus creating more jobs.

‘As the national government, we have both a Constitutional
responsibility and a clear electoral mandate to assist municipalities in the effective exercise of their powers and functions.

‘We will ensure that the institutional structure and funding model for local government is fit-for-purpose and that municipalities are financially and operationally sustainable.’

Qualified professionals

In addition, the President assured South Africa that government will ensure the appointment of capable, qualified people to senior positions in municipalities as well as independent regulation and oversight of the appointment process.

‘As an immediate priority, we will bring stability to governance in our metros and restore the delivery of services. We have already begun this work,’ he said.

On Tuesday, newly appointed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said the seventh administration was committed to working towards turning around dysfunctional municipalities.

Hlabisa used his Budget Vote Speech to acknowledge some of the challe
nges faced by local municipalities.

He said the department will continue to implement and enforce compliance with Municipal Support and Intervention Plans (MSIPs) and employ financial recovery plans in distressed municipalities.

The Minister said the current leadership plans to prioritise five additional municipalities that are in severe financial and governance distress which has negatively impacted service delivery.

Some of the five additional municipalities that will receive attention include Ditsobotla in the North West, Kopanong and Mafube in the Free State, Emfuleni in Gauteng and Thabazimbi in Limpopo.

Source: South African Government News Agency