Latest news with #NontembekoBoyce
IOL News
4 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Namibian Parliament strengthens ties with KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Speaker Nontembeko Boyce with Lucas Sinimbo Muha, chairperson of the National Council of Namibia and regional representative of the CPA Southern Africa Sub-region Executive Committee. Image: KZN Legislature Namibian Parliament's Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Sub-Branch visit to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature marked an important step in reinforcing mutual support among Commonwealth parliaments in the Southern Africa region. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, chairperson of the National Council of Namibia and regional representative of the CPA Southern Africa Sub-Region Executive Committee, led the delegation on Tuesday. Nontembeko Boyce, the speaker of the KZN Legislature, said the visit formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen inter-parliamentary relations among CPA branches and foster regional collaboration in line with the CPA's strategic goals. These include a strong focus on parliamentary democracy, gender representation through the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network, and enhanced cooperation among sub-national legislatures, said Boyce. 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. 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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. Next Stay Close ✕ In his address, Muha highlighted the shared values between the Namibian Parliament and the KZN Legislature. 'The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature is a shining example of advancing the association's mission. Their commitment to gender equality and empowering women in parliamentary spaces is commendable and continues to inspire other branches in the region,' he said. Muha said his mandate is to provide oversight on the implementation of CPA policy decisions and engage with branches to promote the CPA's core objectives. 'As regional representatives, we serve as a bridge between the region and the branches, ensuring their welfare and growth remain a top priority,' he said. Boyce said the visit not only strengthens ties between the two CPA Sub-Branches but also provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on their progress and share best practices as part of a collective journey under the CPA umbrella. 'The visit marks yet another important step in reinforcing the spirit of unity and mutual support,' she said. The KZN delegation visited the Namibian Parliament for a benchmarking exercise a few years ago, and the exercise was both beneficial and enlightening, said Dr Imran Keeka, MPL and DA KZN Legislature chief whip. He regarded the CPA as an important organisation that not only strengthens inter-parliamentary relations and workings, but also helps to benchmark and improve the functioning of individual legislatures and parliaments. 'The province has been a beneficiary of the benchmarking programme through the association, and it makes our systems among the best in the country. Sister legislatures have subsequently visited our institution to benchmark and learn from our practices. For them to have chosen KZN for their visit is a testament to our work and the functionality of our legislature,' Keeka said. 'The work environment evolves sometimes quite rapidly, and the need to change and adapt is important to ensure solid, unashamed, and rigorous oversight. The interparliamentary visits provide a glimpse, and then, using the mechanisms and support of the association, they can achieve more. We are hopeful that the learning experience will benefit the Namibian people,' Keeka added.
IOL News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Exploring the five critical issues in KwaZulu-Natal local government
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in KwaZulu-Natal identified five problems facing municipalities in the province. Image: Screengrab Political leadership is getting weaker, and at the next local government elections, there might be a huge turnover with many new councillors who will be part and parcel of governing municipalities without the requisite experience. This was the view of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in KwaZulu-Natal, which went on to identify the core problem that local government is inadequately equipped to fulfil its development agenda. SALGA made the remarks during the launch of the KZN Speaker's Forum and signing of a memorandum of understanding at the KZN Legislature on Friday. The forum is aimed at strengthening cooperation and coordination between the two institutions. This partnership is expected to enhance support to municipalities and strengthen legislative oversight programmes across the province. SALGA identified five problems in local government, which are: Poor political leadership capacity and weak administrative management. Inefficient and non-integrated local government delivery mechanisms, systems, and processes to enable service delivery. Ineffective utilisation of financial resources (poor financial administration), inability to collect revenue, and insufficient fiscus allocation Degenerating infrastructure and non-existent or poor services provided to local communities. Poor relationship with citizens leading to loss of confidence in local government. The KZN Speaker's Forum aims to empower speakers through the sharing of reports, develop strategic partnerships, and improve oversight programmes. Furthermore, this strategic collaboration will provide a structured platform for addressing service delivery challenges and promoting intergovernmental participation, particularly within Integrated Development Plan (IDP) processes. Nontembeko Boyce, speaker of the KZN Legislature, said no speaker should feel isolated, nor should the council have to navigate complex challenges alone. She stated that through this forum, they should support and learn from one another and stand together as leaders for the greater good of the province. 'Our communities do not care where a service comes from, they expect service delivery. They do not care who fixes the road, who installs the tap, or who makes sure the clinic is working, they just want it done. And they want us, as their leaders, to pull in the same direction. With all those expectations, the local government, as a sphere in which service delivery is the first point of call for our communities,' Boyce said. The forum's objectives are: To exchange knowledge, skills, and views on strategies to strengthen good governance and deepen democracy. Build a stronger link between councils and the provincial legislature. Share what works, and help each other through. Speak with one voice on issues that affect our communities. Sithole Mbanga, SALGA CEO, spoke about harnessing the power of political leadership to restore public trust and drive service delivery. Mbanga said the challenges they face are maintaining public trust from society and ensuring effective service delivery demands urgent attention. 'The government is under pressure to deliver, which is an important issue. We are not here to pay lip service, we want to form a relationship between the provincial and national governments. If you look at the surveys that one conducts and the perception that society has against local government, it is negative.' Mbanga expected new councillors to be part of governing municipalities after next year's elections. 'Without the requisite experience, it will be a problem for us. We will have to upskill those people who are going to become part and parcel of the leadership,' he said. SALGA's mandate is to transform local government to enable it to fulfil its development. Mbanga said SALGA is focused on four things: leadership, differentiation, data optimisation, and management and coordination. 'A mayor cannot run a municipality if there is no collaboration with others. Our mayors are saying help us to build that layer of leaders from the other spheres of government and other spheres of business and society," Mbanga said. [email protected]
