The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs' mandate is to support all municipalities in the province to carry out their directive of delivering services, thereby improving the quality of life for all people.
As stated by President Jacob Zuma during his inauguration speech last year, "for as long as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper sanitation, we shall not rest, and we dare not falter in our drive to eradicate poverty".
This has however not been an easy task as some municipalities are still plagued by poor capacity challenges, coupled with high staff turnover and a shortage of the skills needed to turn the situation around.
The department aims to ensure the sustainability of the improvements instituted in the municipalities by continuing to monitor their progress. It is committed to the strengthening of co-operative government and building relationships and partnerships to ensure early intervention before serious breaches in financial management occur. The department has already embarked on a number of initiatives both to improve our system of co-operative governance and to restore integrity, accountability and compliance within our institutions. This process needs to continue and be done in partnership with traditional institutions, under whose jurisdiction the majority of the areas without services lie.
A key intervention for local economies to break out of the poverty trap is through infrastructure investment. It is hoped that strengthening the municipalities' capacity to deliver services will act as a catalyst for other stakeholders to get involved in the various fields of local government. In particular public private partnerships are no longer a luxury but a necessity for sustainable development to occur.
Let us all work together to achieve service delivery to all the people in KwaZulu-Natal.
MEC Nomusa Dube
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
