Monday, September 06, 2010

Site Search

Latest Findings

ANALYSIS OF WORK DONE IN MAY 2010

Colloquium on Rural Development

Peter Kimemia attended a three day Colloquium on Rural Development, hosted by the Fort Hare University at the Bisho Campus.

Afesis-corplan is interested in matters of rural development and has contributed towards the provincial rural development strategy. With the focus of government currently being on rural development, Afesis-corplan has a role to play: rural development is in line with the organisation’s principles of alleviating poverty.

With regard to agriculture, Afesis-corplan is planning to identify appropriate markets and as a result the Colloquium’s proceedings were important in this light.

Afesis-corplan has projects directly linked to rural development and being invited to participate in the Colloquium on Rural Development enabled the opportunity to share information and hear the views of other participants.


Interacting with the ECPSDP

During the month of May, Afesis-corplan attended the Eastern Cape Provincial Spacial Development Planning (ECPSCP) Strategic Conference, held by the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs assisted by UN-HABITAT. The purpose of the conference was to review the Eastern Cape Provincial Spatial Development Plan (ECPSDP), to help shape the PSDP and to create a better understanding of development trends, to achieve consensus on a spatial development philosophy and strategies to achieve this.

Towards the end of May, Afesis-corplan hosted a meeting with the ECSDP consultants. The meeting involved the Eastern Cape Non-Governmental Organisation Coalition (ECNGOC) as well as three or four other ECNGOC affiliates. The purpose of the meeting was to find out what progress was being made in the provincial spacial development planning and to discuss how civil society can become more involved in the planning process.

For Afesis-corplan, it is important to find out what is happening in the Eastern Cape in terms of provincial special development, especially since it is the focus of one of our core projects. The conference and subsequent meeting helped to identify opportunities for civil society organisations in order to propose effective plans for future projects. It is important for the ECPSDP to realise that the NGO sector is still very much alive and active.

Because ECPSDP is not structured to promote community development, Afesis-corplan is involved to influence the outcome of future plans, to make sure that future planning exercises incorporate a strong public participation element, to see to it that the needs of the poor are addressed in the plan, and that land is made available for low cost housing and small business development. 


   

ANALYSIS OF WORK DURING APRIL 2010

Great Kei Municipality Stakeholder Invitation

The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in the Eastern Cape, in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has introduced new approaches to assist municipalities towards improving service delivery, through the development of a Local Government Turn Around Strategy (LGTAS) which embraces, inter alia, the Municipal Capacity Assessment Tool (MUCAT).

Thabile Sokupa attended the event (7-8 April 2010) at the Komga Town Hall.

The main objectives of the Local Government Turn Around Strategy are:
* To ensure that municipalities meet the basic needs in communities.
* To build clean, effective, efficient, responsive and accountable local government.
* To improve performance and professionalism in municipalities.
* To improve national and provincial policy, oversight and support.
* To strengthen partnerships between communities, civil society and local government.

Afesis-corplan has a partnership with the Great Kei Municipality to help bridge the gap between communities and the Municipality, and building capacity. The organisation’s expertise in local governance is greatly valued by the Great Kei Municipality. As a result of the partnership, ward committees and the municipality are working towards a year plan that speaks to the improvement of the community, which will have input and buy in from both sides.

Through this event, the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in the Eastern Cape is trying to reach out to municipalities that are identified as hot spots in service delivery backlogs, which have resulted in community outrage. Therefore the intention of the Department is to help improve the working relationship between the municipality and communities. Factors that have to be taken into consideration are that the municipality will be able to maintain the ethos required to build and maintain a working relationship with its constituency and that the communities are willing to work with the municipality in a constructive way. 

Afesis-corplan is seen as a worthy partner by the Great Kei Municipality as a result of the impact the organisation’s intervention strategy has had in communities and the municipality. This has cemented the confidence the municipality has in Afesis-corplan.

A positive aspect of Afesis-corplan’s involvement in the area has seen ward committee members each receiving a stipend of R1000.00, which can be used to fulfil the mandate of being available to the community as well as enable members to get the necessary resources to mobilise policy changes.


Fundamentals of Social Accountability Monitoring

Gugu Mgwebi attended two week training course (12-23 April) on Fundamentals of Social Accountability Monitoring hosted by the Centre for Social Accountability (CSA), which is based at Rhodes University, Grahamstown. The training course provided an introduction to a rights-based approach to social accountability monitoring, the social accountability system and a complete set of tools for public resource management monitoring (budget analysis, expenditure tracking, performance monitoring, integrity monitoring, oversight tracking, etc.).

The course was in line with some of the core concerns of Afesis-corplan in terms of the promotion of good governance practice.

Key concepts covered at the course that work towards achieving a strengthened and effective local government include:
•    Policy Monitoring and Analysis: Focus on policy prioritisation versus the need and demands of civil society. This refers to resource allocation and planning.
•    Process Monitoring: Focus on effective implementation of public resource management. This refers to performance management and expenditure management.
•    Output verification: Focus and verify promised outputs and delivery of services at community, constituency or local level. This refers to integrity and oversight.

These concepts make us the Fundamentals of the Social Accountability Monitoring system by the Centre for Social Accountability (CSA). The CSA’s objective includes the adoption of the tool itself by civil organisations, like Afesis-corplan, and the rest of the African continent in order to achieve a socially just state that progressively realises human rights and capabilities.

The course was incredibly beneficial and questions have emerged regarding Afesis-corplan’s programme work that needs to be addressed in order to promote organisational and project growth:
•    What selection criteria is Afesis-corplan going to take in identifying working group members?
•    What approach is Afesis-corplan likely to take given the information gleaned at this course?
•    How is the tool going to be adopted and how effective will the implementation of CSAG be?
•    How can the CBFA tool be refined according to information gleaned at this course?
•    What key concepts and tools are going to be adopted or used to evaluate output indicators?


Incremental Tenure Workshop, Kei Mouth

Afesis-corplan held a workshop on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 in Kei Mouth on Incremental Tenure. The organisation is working with the Great Kei Municipality and the Kei Mouth community to pilot a Managed Land Settlement (MLS) project in Kei Mouth. The purpose of the workshop was to share an overview of the theory of incremental tenure; learn how other municipalities and communities have worked with incremental tenure; and explore how incremental tenure can work in Kei Mouth.

The workshop was supported by many municipal representatives and members of communities and the provincial department of human settlements.

The workshop discussed how land tenure works in general and presented LANDfirst as an alternative way to secure land. Lauren Roysten of Urban LandMark made a presentation on the theory of land tenure, which was made in a simplified format for all participants to understand.

Understanding land tenure is very important. If community members don’t understand how it works out in practice, it results in high levels of frustration. Without land tenure, it is difficult to develop areas.

Vigorous discussion and debate took place at the workshop. One of the questions that arose was whether or not people who get land tenure were eligible for housing subsidies in the future. The emerging consensus was that they were eligible for the subsidy.

Community members agreed to go back to their villages and review the allocation list based on the knowledge gained in the workshop.

Kei Mouth is in a very fortunate position in that the people are able to get onto the land before housing subsidies are approved. This has a huge impact as it means individuals can start building their own houses instead of waiting for the government to provide a house, which can take many years.
   

ANALYSIS OF WORK DURING MARCH 2010

Managed Land Settlement Conference

Afesis-corplan, with the support of Urban LandMark, hosted a conference on Managed Land Settlement (MLS) 10 March 2010 in Johannesburg. The conference was well supported with thirty people in attendance, which included representatives from government departments and community structures.

Afesis-corplan and Urban LandMark have been working on the LANDfirst campaign. LANDfirst is both an approach to settlement development that emphasises incremental development, and an emerging network of civil society organisations campaigning for dignity through obtaining land.

The conference reviewed previous experiences of MLS and explored the possibility of implementing MLS in the present context. Afesis-corplan and ULM commissioned researchers to look at previous attempts of MLS-like programmes, such as the Mayibuye Rapid Land Release programme in Gauteng, the Accelerated Managed Land Settlement programme in Cape Town, the 4 Peg Policy in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, and the Rural Housing programme in the Eastern Cape.

Five case studies that have been completed were reported on and discussed at the conference. It was agreed amongst the participants that, technically, the managed LANDfirst approach with work in South Africa.

A discussion on the sociopolitical context also ensued regarding whether the time is right for managed land settlements. The participants viewed mixed opinions, and it was decided that further analysis on funding for managed land settlements needs to be done.

Afesis-corplan and Urban LandMark will be exploring additional areas of work and collaboration in taking managed land settlements further. Managed land settlements are a workable alternative for land tenure security.   If the South African Government continues to work with the current settlement development approaches only,   it will take decades to address the housing backlog in South Africa. Therefore, alternative approaches need to be found to meet the demand for land tenure security and service delivery.


Meaningful Engagement Discussion

A Round Table discussion was held  on 4 March, in Cape Town to establish meaningful engagements in the realisation of socio-economic rights. It was hosted by the Community Law Center at the University of the Western Cape and it brought together civil society organisations, social movements as well as government officials. The meeting discussed challenges of public participation and ways in which to ensure that there is indeed a meaningful engagement that makes it possible for especially the poor to access and enjoy socio-economic rights. Peter Kimemia attended the discussion.

The discussion was beneficial and various inputs were made by the participants, which shed light on how municipalities function and how they respond to different situations. An example that was discussed showed how the local municipality dealt with a group of homeless people who took over some of the inner city buildings in Johannesburg and the litigation involved. Another example cited was the expression of frustration regarding the poor service delivery and the brutal reactions from the public towards the municipalities.

For Afesis-corplan, access to this discussion broadens our knowledge of socio-economics and how the government responds. A platform of this nature allows an opportunity to share ideas with government officials in meaningful engagements, which should ultimately lead to getting a desired response. The outcomes of the discussion contribute positively towards designing intervention strategies at local government level.

Another valuable point of the discussion was that representatives from various municipalities were present and could better explain their responses to service delivery.

The discussion was dominated by civil society organisations, which encouraged good, frank interactions between participants.

WUF5, Brazil

Fred Kusambiza, director of Afesis-corplan, attended the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Brazil, 22-30 March, which was made possible with sponsorship from Cordaid. Other organisations that also attended the WUF sponsored by Cordaid from South Africa were DAG in Cape Town, BESG in Pietermaritzburg and Planact in Johannesburg.  

The World Urban Forum 5 Conference (WUF) was established by the United Nations – Habitat for Human Settlement to examine and find solutions for some of the most pressing issues facing the world today, which include rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies.

One of the mandates from the United Nations Council to the Habitat for Human Settlement Programme is to strengthen the coordination of implementation of the Habitat Agenda with international support through “promoting the merger of the Urban Environment Forum and the International Forum on Urban Poverty.”  Therefore, by inviting different sectors in society, government, academic, public and private institutions across the world, different ideas and energies are expected to emerge to tackle the challenges faced in the rapid urbanisation seen today in many cities of the world.  

There are four WUF sessions that have happened so far. The first session of the WUF was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002 as WUF1 and the theme was ‘Sustainable Urbanisation”. The second session, WUF2 was held in Barcelona, Spain under the theme “Cities: Crossroad of Cultures, Inclusiveness and Integration.” The third session, WUF3 was held in Vancouver, Canada under the theme “‘Our Future: Sustainable Cities – Turning Ideas into Action.”  The fourth session, WUF4 was held in Nanjing, China in 2008 under the theme “Harmonious Urbanisation“. The latest session WUF5, was held in Rio de Janeiro under the theme “Right to the City – Bridging the Urban Divide”.  

The following observations were made from discussions at WUF 5: 
•    Developing a sustained vision for society is an on-going process. The route to sustainability changes as circumstances change over time.
•    There are alternative approaches to supporting development. For example, one approach would be to work with policies and regulations, while another approach would be to work with vulnerable groups in society, by preparing them to become resilient to obstacles.
•    Urbanisation needs to be managed through a process of proactive investigations, planning, action and learning so as to create a virtuous circle in development.

The five world urban forums that have taken place so far have provided an opportunity for people involved in urban development from all corners of the globe to share information and experience gained, and in some cases record some resolutions. It would be worthwhile for these WUFs to set some form of clear targets so that the different sectors involved (e.g. water, transport, shelter, etc.) can measure progress made (however little it is) in these different sectors. The difficulty of this however would be that the targets have to be spread across the entire world whereby countries have different settings and challenges. With such targets set, institutions in their respective countries can then have a base from which to measure progress made in tackling the different urbanisation challenges that they face. 
   

ANALYSIS OF WORK DURING FEBRUARY 2010

Capacity Building Workshop

Afesis-corplan was invited to participate in a capacity building workshop organized by the Foundation and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Peter Kimemia represented Afesis-corplan at the workshop, which took place at the Osner Hotel, East London, on Wednesday, 24 February 2010.

The purpose of the workshop was to give information regarding the types of support the Department of Justice has to offer NGOs, CBOs and other organisations. Any organisation need only apply, which would then increase their potential to facilitate information sharing.

The workshop was also used as a platform by the department to elaborate on the types of products they have on offer to various organisations, and to remind participants of how to access these products.

The workshop was indeed beneficial, because of the type of work Afesis-corplan does, particularly in the field of promoting good governance and participatory democracy, and training. Afesis-corplan is pleased about the potential opportunity this workshop has created for the organisation. The organisation has already identified two key calls for proposals, to which it is responding, in the areas of Participatory Democracy and Capacity Building for CSOs.


Visit to Villages in Mhlontlo Local Municipality

On Wednesday, 17 February 2010, Nontlantla Skenjana and Thembi Mabhula met with the people of the Mdibanisweni village of Mhlontlo Local Municipality where Afesis-corplan is rendering Social Facilitation services in the Asgisa-funded Agricultural Projects.

Afesis-corplan asked the chief of the village to organise a meeting with the community so that the organisation would have a chance to introduce itself, the work it does, the ASGISA project and Afesis-corplan’s role in the project. The meeting was also vital to discuss the expectations on the participants in the project.

These meetings are beneficial to the community in that they have a clear understanding of the role of Afesis-corplan as social facilitators, which results in better cooperation with the villagers and better coordination in terms of the work plan. Afesis-corplan provides social facilitation services to the villages on behalf of ASGISA.

The community was quite excited and enthusiastic about the project; they are eager about development in their areas and see the ASGISA project as a beam of hope. It was a successful meeting and the chief was quite positive about the discussions. ASGISA has ploughed the lands in the Mdibanisweni village, in the Eastern Cape, which have lain fallow for more than ten years.

Afesis-corplan interacts regularly with community members in this area and the organisation is well received.


Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP) Evaluation

Gugu Mgwebi participated as the Amatole District Mentor for the CSSP evaluation, held on 17 February 2010. The evaluation was conducted by Themba Nkwinika and sought to determine what the impact of the project over the past three years, and how has the methodological approach to the implementation of the project impacted on the project.

Gugu was questioned on the role of mentorship Afesis-corplan provided and the impact it had on the CSSP Project. The capacity building aspect of the project was achieved in the sense that the community and working group members were empowered with tools and are more familiar with municipal structures so as to engage with local government. Many members feel that they are listened to by the municipality as a result.

The purpose of the CSSP project is to promote a partnership between the community and the local government, and to help close gaps in communication and participation that currently exist through capacity building and facilitation.

Some of the challenges identified in the project were as follows:
• Chain of reporting on activities was too long, and communicating was difficult.
• A decline in the number of people involved in the working group.
• Members of the working group were representatives of organisations and were taking part in the CSSP project on a volunteer basis. However, there was very little ownership taken by the members of the working group and there was no accountability as a result.
• The CSSP project doesn’t have a monitoring mechanism in place. While the role of the working group was to promote advocacy, there was no follow up procedure on the impact and sustainability of what was advocated.
• The working group members were not community members in the area where the project was based. Future working groups need to find ways to get community members more involved in the processes so that what is advocated is impactful, and it gives community members an opportunity to take ownership of the project and be accountable for its objectives.

In general, the CSSP project is a good project with lots of potential. As long as it advocates and creates activities the community will take ownership of and sustain, for example projects benefitting the community and the individuals concerned, the CSSP project working group will have an positive impact in the community.


Environmental Impact Assessment Course

WESSA together with the Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA), WWF-SA, the Mazda Wildlife Fund and the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIAsa) conducted a two and a half day course on understanding Environmental Impact Assessment: Contributing to Sustainable Development and Decision Making. Ronald Eglin and Fred Kusambiza attended the course from Wednesday to Friday, 10-12 February.

The course addressed what an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is and what the purpose of it is, as well as how to engage with EIAs done by other individuals and organisations. Aspects of an EIA covered in the course included in what circumstances an environmental impact assessment is necessary, what the impact of the environmental assessment should be and how to more thoroughly evaluate the contents of an EIA.

Afesis-corplan often receives EIAs and staff members need to be equipped to read and evaluate them effectively. EIAs are important to the LANDfirst pilot project Afesis-corplan is currently involved in and it is important that the project leaders are competent to engage with EIAs at a local and national government level.

The participants felt they have a better understanding of EIAs as a result of the course.

EIAs have quite an impact on project development, because they involve a slow process, which in turn slows down the entire project. EIAs are typically very time-consuming and are quite costly exercises since all EIAs need to assess the environmental, social and economic aspects as well as the effects on the people living in the area. Despite the slow process, EIAs are very necessary to ascertain the short-term and the long-term impact of the project.

 

   

ANALYSIS OF WORK DURING JANUARY 2010

Presenting LANDfirst Concept

Ronald Eglin gave a presentation at a workshop organised by the Department of Housing in the Western Cape on 29 January 2010 regarding the LANDfirst concept developed by Afesis-corplan and other organisations. A broad range of experts were brought together by the Department of Housing in the Western Cape to explore options for what government can do to support people getting land and services.

The workshop recognised that a balance needed to be struck between addressing the huge demand for shelter as reflected in the number of people living in informal settlements and backyards, and the need to ensure the efficient development of settlements in relation to public transport and job opportunities, etc.

The Western Cape Department of Housing will provide opportunities to explore the increased supply of serviced sites in more detail. Afesis-corplan will be monitoring the Western Cape Department of Housing to see what emerges.  The opportunity at this workshop was for Afesis-corplan to continue promoting the LANDfirst concept to other provincial governments.

Free to Grow

Ronald Eglin and Gugu Mgwebi attended a “Free to Grow” life skills workshop from 25 to 28 January in East London, together with twelve other people from the German Development Services (DED) and development partners working with DED. 

The purpose of the workshop was to provide an opportunity for individuals to grow and develop life skills. The workshop addressed issues relating to self development, communication, conflict handling, interpersonal relationships and assertiveness. Participants were able to learn more about themselves, and the content of the workshop proved valuable. The Free to Grow workshop is one Afesis-corplan’s participants would recommend to other organisations.

To find out more, visit http://www.free-to-grow.co.za/

Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Housing presents green paper

On 22 January 2010, Ronald Eglin and Fred Kusambiza attended a workshop organised by the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Housing, where the department presented a green paper on “prevention of the mushrooming of informal settlements”.  

The department is open to receive comments and a revised draft (or white paper) policy paper will be developed by end of February 2010. The Human Sciences Research Council also presented draft findings from a survey they are conducting for the department on informal settlements in the province. Preliminary findings indicate there are over 200 000 informal dwellings in the Eastern Cape.  The final survey report should be complete towards mid 2010.

The feedback from the workshop was positive, because the department was taking a more developmental approach as opposed to policing or regulatory approaches. Although there is a lot more work that needs to be done in order for the new approach to become policy.

Organisations were given the opportunity to comment on the green paper, and Afesis-corplan submitted written comments. One of the comments Afesis-corplan made was that the Department needs to adopt a two-prong approach to upgrading informal settlements by providing emergency services and making new land available with services in place in response to future demand for housing.

A copy of the report can be found at:
http://echousing.ecprov.gov.za/index.php?module=documents&category=4#Publications

   

Buffalo City Mayor's State of the City Address

(Posted 5 August 2009)

The mayor of BCM has stressed that during her term there will be a focus on going back to basics, by focusing on the reality of people’s experiences collectively. Her purpose behind the back to basics drive is to build the community and restore relations and trust in the BCM. She emphasised working towards a new culture of service and encouraged the public to communicate dissatisfaction with municipal services or employees. The example she sited is that of finding an employee sleeping at work or being rude to customers; these are not acceptable and without the public reporting their experiences of the BCM these things will not be addressed internally.


IDP
With regards to the IDP, BCM has committed to reporting back to all communities. A strong focus of the IDP is on increasing capacity in order to execute projects set in motion by the BCM and prevent budget roll-overs. The Mayor has indicated the importance of creating an environment within Buffalo City where everyone can live, work and play.

The Mayor has committed to addressing the lack of service delivery within BCM, namely the broken pipes, the malfunctioning street lights and traffic lights, the unkept parts, etc. Procurement has been made to upgrade the refuse removal machinery used in BCM and to eradicate illegal dumping sites. Duncan Village was mentioned, because BCM has created more dedicated waste sites within Duncan Village for residents to make use of.

Community Development
The Mayor has indicated that the development approach must be accelerated. She mentioned that the humanitarian programme of delivering food parcels to the elderly and poor on a rotational basis is ongoing.

She also indicated that she would like BCM to ensure that everyone has access to health care within 5kms of their homes, especially via mobile clinics. BCM is also embarking on an awareness campaign regarding Swine Flu. With HIV/Aids, the focus has shifted to the impact the disease has on the community, instead of focusing solely on trying to educate communities about not becoming infected. The Mayor indicated that statistics reveal approximately 80% of the greater BCM community know their HIV/Aids status.

There is also a more concerted effort to make public places more accessible by those people with disabilities, the main town library being one of the areas where access has been upgraded to allow for wheelchairs.

Building Department
The Mayor is very aware of the situation with the Building Department, referring in particular to people whose rates/water/refuse accounts are paid and up-to-date, but then experience electricity cuts. She indicated that current centralisation of the entire admin centre is being looked into.

Roads
The Mayor is also very much aware of the dire situation of the roads. Her aim is to fill all the potholes in Buffalo City by the end of the year. With regards to the tarring of the roads in Mdantsane, she is aware of the failed promises and aims to present a plan of action in six month’s time.

Housing
The Mayor stated that there are still 38 605 shacks and backyard shacks in BCM. The Mayor indicated that 19 000 houses where currently in various stages of development, however none are completely built. She aims to deliver at least 5 000 houses in this financial year. She indicated that there are housing projects planned for Haven Hills, West Bank, Mdantsane, Second Creek, etc. Again, it is unclear if any of these are new projects or if they have already been implemented to some degree.

Duncan Village got a mention, particularly since there are 21 000 houses in this high density area. 320 new houses are being planned for. A large clean-up and beautification programme is going to be implemented as well. The Mayor has also promised to tar 20kms of road in Duncan Village to the tune of R20 million.

Entrepreneurship
BCM has embarked on a campaign to capacitate new entrepreneurs. R3 million has been set aside for this. Successful projects to facilitate skills development include the Mdantsane One-Stop Shop, which teaches business skills to new entrepreneurs. The Mayor is open to new ideas of creating job opportunities. Currently the focus has been on equipping hawkers with their small businesses.

Rural and Agricultural Development
The Mayor acknowledges the very negative situation. She indicated that BCM has donated farming implements and helped put up fences in different communities. Also, the BCM is currently involved in an agricultural project in Mdantsane, into which they have pumped R3 million. The Mayor is open to new ideas of improving the current rural and agricultural situations.

Rural development is a top priority for the Mayor. BCM is going to sit down and revise the strategy and approach to rural development. They want to include looking into village tourism, proper sanitation, access to electricity, proper and adequate transport solutions, sports facilities, health facilities, etc. Their list is long. The Mayor wants to hold a summit to address development, but it was unclear to me whether the summit will address development in Buffalo City or the rural areas. She has acknowledged the need for a new approach to community involvement and development. In particular, she wants to focus on helping and equipping SMMEs.

MAD Campaign
Later this year, the Mayor is going to launch her MAD campaign. She knows that the community is mad about the lack of service delivery and she wants to encourage people to be mad about the city they live in. Her Make A Difference (MAD) Campaign will follow the example of the recently launched Mandela Day.

To conclude, the Mayor is stressing that during her term in office, the focus of BCM will be going back to the basics.
   

Visit to the DBSA Project in Kieskammahoek

(Posted 23 July 2009)
Thembi Mabhula and Thabile Sokupa went to Kieskammahoek on Monday, 6 July 2009 for a briefing on the DBSA project. The briefing provided an opportunity to introduce Afesis-corplan, their individual involvement and the concept of social facilitation. They were also fortunate enough to attend the farmers’ meeting where some of the operational challenges where discussed and got a good overview of what was happening in this project.  Their findings helped draft Afesis-corplan’s process map for the first workshop with the farmers. This was held on Monday, 13 July 2009.

The workshop looked at the “swat analysis” of the project in its totality. The farmers are highly appreciative of DBSA’s involvement and funding of the project as well as their dedication in securing Uniliver as a buyer of their paprika. One of the major challenges faced by the farmers is the issue of human capacity. Farmers feel very threatened by the project supervisors, namely the service provider that manages the project. Also, there has been a lack of buy-in from the members of the community who are involved in the project.

As a result, some of the key outcomes expected from the work done by Afesis-corplan would be to make sure that there is buy-in from members of the communities, and build trust with the farmers as well as the project management team in order to make it successful.

   

GGLN Round Table Workshop: The State of Impropriety in Local Government

(Posted 23 July 2009)
Nontando Ngamlana represented Afesis-corplan at the GGLN Round Table workshop in Cape Town, 6-7 July 2009. She presented a paper entitled, The State of Impropriety in Local Government.

The purpose of the presentation was to analyse the extent of corruption in South Africa in all spheres of government.  In order to do this, the paper highlighted various strategies put in place to combat corruption and how successful those have been. It looked at the impact corruption has had on service delivery with a focus on local government; and made recommendations towards strengthening anti-corruption strategies.

The following recommendations were made:
1. Balancing capacity within the public sector to enforce and comply with legislation. Currently, the courts are overloaded and struggle to retain prosecutors. This leads to backlogs, delays and withdrawals in corruption cases.
2. The legislative mandate of some law enforcement and other agencies overlap. This should be resolved by organisational and structural means, clarification of roles, and improved co-operation and co-ordination.
3. A ‘three pronged approach’ is today considered the best practice in the area of anti-corruption: prevention, public education, and investigation/prosecution. South Africa needs to strengthen its efforts in these areas.
4. Whistle blowing is crucial to the detection of corruption. The legislative framework is in place, but few departments have a hotline, and even fewer have effective procedures to operate it effectively. And yet, this is the only whistle-blowing mechanism departments rely on.
5. Attempts to develop anti-corruption partnerships between the government and civil society have not been successful. The experience of the Eastern Cape’s Provincial Corruption Forum and the Network Against Corruption show that careful thought and planning must be given to partnership initiatives in order to ensure their success
6. There is a need for a central database of cases, which would allow the government to learn from incidents in order to understand corruption better and to be able to design preventive strategies.


   

Perceptions of Local Government in Amahlati

(Posted 23 July 2009)
Gugu Mgwebi recently conducted a survey with the Amahlati community regarding the relationship between the local municipality and community members. Of those surveyed, it was found that 65 percent thought council meetings were well attended. However, community members lack access to and knowledge of the IDP and budget processes. Ward committee forums were the most well known way of disseminating information regarding the local municipality and the community; 89 percent surveyed indicated as such. A large majority of people thought that the public was not involved in public discussions regarding the annual report. 77 percent were not even aware of the Auditor General’s report. This highlights a lack of transparency regarding the Auditor General’s role and responsibilities. Only 42 percent of people surveyed knew of conflicts with the municipality. While 42 percent acknowledge the municipality does hold public meetings to communicate progress on the IDP and Budget, only 19 percent thought key issues regarding the municipality’s financial management practices were communicated to the public.

The municipality needs to find ways of encouraging community participation in key decision-making processes and fulfill a developmental role to mobilise community members to become actively involved in municipal decisions pertinent to them. Ward committees need to be equipped to adequately explain financial reports to members of the community, and distribute information between the municipality and the community.