By Bonginkosi Masiwa

President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address in early February focused in part on the state’s failings with regard to service delivery and the need to improve government’s institutional capacity. Municipalities are not finding the skilled personnel to fill high-ranking positions like municipal managers according to Mbeki. The five-year local government strategic agenda pledges to tackle the critical shortage of skills in municipalities by re-deploying public servants who are prepared to work in needy municipalities.

The President also urged local leaders to develop skills in monitoring development plans and made it clear that government will continue to support Integrated Development Plans as the official municipal planning approach. Pilot IDP projects are apparently nearing completion in 13 metro and district municipalities across the country.  Ward committees also received a fresh endorsement as the primary vehicles for public participation with the rider that many are new and inexperienced and need additional capacity.

President Mbeki outlined the need for financial accountability in the public service at national, district and municipal levels. The importance of periodic audits and regularly published municipal financial statements was stressed. Municipalities and other spheres of government were urged to create an enabling environment for business  and to expand employment  through the mechanism of Municipal Growth and Development Summits.      

The Local Government Transformer February/March 2007 Vol 13. No. 1