Latest news with #MunicipalInnovationMaturityIndex
IOL News
07-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
eThekwini Municipality takes strides towards smart city status at MIRA Awards
With 'service delivery' emerging as a pivotal theme for municipalities across South Africa, eThekwini Municipality is making significant progress towards achieving Smart City status. This ambition was underscored when eThekwini was honoured at the Municipal Innovation Recognition Awards (MIRA) held in Durban on June 30, which celebrated its innovative efforts in improving basic functions through technology. Smart Cities leverage information and communication technology to enhance infrastructure and services, ultimately leading to a better quality of life for residents and businesses. Despite being just in its second year, the MIRA Awards have swiftly established themselves as a key benchmark for municipalities seeking to innovate and improve public service delivery. The MIRA Awards are a collaboration between the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). They are rooted in the sophisticated Municipal Innovation Maturity Index (Mimi), which measures the level of innovation within municipalities. Dr Tshepang Mosiea, Chief Director of Innovation for Inclusive Development within the DSTI, noted that municipalities reaching Level 4 on the Mimi scale demonstrate strong management processes and a commitment to innovation. 'There is evidence that the municipality has the necessary innovation infrastructure and financial resources allocated and managed to support innovation,' Dr Mosiea explained. According to UKZN Associate Professor Sithembiso Myeni, the focus of the index is to enhance public service delivery while fostering a culture of innovation that has the potential to transform communities. Higher scores on the index mean municipalities can unlock public funding, facilitating the journey toward smart city designation. Smart Cities are anticipated to create optimal environments, addressing sustainability challenges like climate change through initiatives that reduce carbon emissions and promote efficient resource use. At the MIRA Awards, the City of Cape Town stood out for its one-stop business portal, with other innovators including Ekurhuleni for its approach to combatting non-revenue water and Polokwane for its My Citizen App. Meanwhile, the Chris Hani District Municipality made strides in ensuring access to clean drinking water through the Machibini Water Treatment Plant. The MIMI framework not only rates basic services but also measures improvements in areas such as sanitation and energy consumption. Its development into a digital platform aims to streamline its use and enhance the analysis of municipalities' innovation capabilities. This year's event also unveiled the Municipal Innovation Fund (MIF), aimed at supporting high-performing municipalities in scaling innovative projects designed to bolster basic service delivery. Established by the DSTI, the fund will offer up to R3 million per project, enabling qualifying municipalities to harness technologies that have measurable community impacts. With eThekwini Municipality fully engaged in these transformative efforts, the pursuit of Smart City status not only promises enhanced service delivery, but also a brighter future for its residents. As municipalities increasingly incorporate technology into their operations, the hope is that they will set a powerful precedent for others across the nation. DAILY NEWS
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
eThekwini Municipality to harness technology to improve service delivery
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said the City will be using technology to improve service delivery. Image: eThekwini Municipality / Facebook The eThekwini Municipality will deploy drones in an effort to identify and quickly address service delivery issues in the City. eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba stated that the City no longer wants to wait for residents to complain about the service delivery challenges they are experiencing in their areas. Xaba emphasised that matters like water leaks and potholes must be identified urgently through the use of technology and addressed quickly, rather than being left unresolved for weeks or months. Xaba made these remarks while speaking at the Municipal Innovation Awards in Durban yesterday afternoon. The second Municipal Innovation Recognition Awards (MIRA) is an initiative of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). It follows the implementation of the Municipal Innovation Maturity Index in 2021, a tool that assesses the capacity of municipalities to innovate in a bid to improve service delivery. The awards are also a flagship initiative of the Viability and Validation of Innovations for Service Delivery Programme, which supports municipalities in piloting specific technologies or innovations, focusing on aspects like access, availability, acceptability, and adaptability of these solutions in basic service delivery. Award categories included Special Recognition Awards, Top Innovative Municipality, and the Trailblazing Innovations Award for Innovations for Service Delivery. Several municipalities across the country took part in yesterday's ceremony. Among those present were eThekwini, the City of Cape Town and representatives from municipalities in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Xaba stated that the use of technology is central to how municipalities must be run. 'Innovation within local government is not merely a technical endeavour, but it is a governance imperative that bridges the gap between policy and the lived realities of communities. Research consistently affirms that municipalities that embed a culture of learning are more resilient and better positioned to respond to complex developmental challenges.' He said the municipality was committed to institutionalising innovation as a strategic tool for service delivery. 'I am happy that as a city, we have taken the decision to deploy technology, including utilising drones to proactively identify and resolve service delivery challenges. As we strive to improve performance, this will go a long way in ensuring that we don't wait for communities to report faulty streetlights, burst pipes, and overgrown verges.' SALGA president Bheke Sofile applauded the programme, stating that it is pleasing to see the UKZN, SALGA, and the government working together to address challenges. He expressed concern about the lack of innovation in municipalities and highlighted the importance of collaboration with academics to improve the lives of people in the country. He said innovation was necessary, especially in municipalities with low resources. 'Let us co-create solutions. MIRA represents a sector with the potential and talent to transform itself from within. Let us share what works, document what does not, collaborate and share solutions.'
