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IOL News
4 days ago
- 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]
The South African
20-05-2025
- General
- The South African
New website to FIX potholes in South Africa privately
Yes, there is now a website to fix potholes in South Africa. In fact, not just potholes but any other infrastructural issue born out of poor service delivery. This website is the brainchild of local resident and philanthropist, Dr. Garth Japhet. Specifically, he founded the website – FixLocal – as a way for residents to find out how to effectively report issues in their region. Whether it be a pothole or non-functioning set of traffic lights, he wants to do his part to end poor service delivery across South Africa. Author, philanthropist and entrepreneur, South Africa is a better place with Dr. Garth Japhet of FixLocal in it. Image: File If you haven't already, we encourage you to visit FixLocal. Sometimes even just reporting an issue to the correct department is difficult. Therefore, the FixLocal team calls government numbers and visits offices regularly to ensure they have up-to-date contact details. Government's outdated websites are notoriously dysfunctional and poorly maintained. And Japhet believes that is why residents' first reports often go unheeded. Therefore, the website to fix potholes in South Africa shows you exactly how to escalate your matter effectively. The website is not just to fix potholes, but any other lacking infrastructural issue. Image: File Based on where your location, the website will direct you to a local councilor who actually represents your area. If, however, you want to take it a step further, FixLocal offers resources on how to set up community groups and policing forums. Then, as a final resort, the website also gives tips on how to fix something yourself, if local government is a non-starter. Dr. Japhet insists, 'We are not adversarial, we're simply apolitical. This is about trying to get our communities and our country to work together.' Other issues you may want to report can include waste management, electricity outages, water leaks and overgrown grass. The 18 municipalities covered by FixLocal include all major centres like Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Gqeberha, Johannesburg, Polokwane, and Tshwane. While other regions included are the likes of Bethal, Buffalo City, George, Kimberley, Mangaung, Mbombela, Mogale City, Msunduzi, Newcastle, Rustenburg, and Soweto. FixLocal is able to collaborate with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to insure efficacy on key issues. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
