The next couple of months will see extensive training aimed at management of municipalities. The targetgroups for these training courses have been identified as, female middle/senior level municipal officials,municipal management trainees and potential municipal management trainees aimed at demographicrepresentivity in the commitment to the transformation of local government.
In an attempt to foster the necessary skills, the first of a series of training sessions, in conjunction with theUniversity of Stellenbosch have already commenced on Monday 2 February at Bellville aimed at femalemiddle and senior level municipal officials. My Department has, since this programme has started, receivednumerous enquiries - also from the general public and a repeat of the 5 day training course will be done inMay in George.
The course content will include Management and policy making, Diversity management, Administrative lawfor local government, Performance management, Management functions, Techniques and skills andMunicipal Financial Management Legislation.
In order to ensure representavity at senior management level a training intervention for municipalmanagement trainees start today and will be a 3 month course.
To ensure that the business approaches, structures, systems and practises as demanded by developmentallocal government are achieved we need to acknowledge and foster the power residing within all ourcommunities to create opportunities for change. Through these training courses our aim is to make seniormanagement representative of the Western demography and to enable you sitting here today to ultimatelybecome executive municipal managers. There are challenging times ahead which will change the agenda oflocal government. It is in our common interest that we achieve representavity and gender equality at seniormanagement level. With these training interventions the Western Cape has taken the responsibility to ensurethat this goal is achieved.
Deur 'n groter poel van kundigheid te skep waaruit daar in die toekoms getap kan word wanneer aanstellingsgedoen word, tree die Provinsiale Regering van die Wes-Kaap pro-aktief op.
Meeste senior aanstellings op munisipale vlak is op termynkontrak en wanneer hierdie kontrakte verstryk ismunisipaliteite aangewese op bestaande personeel of om wyd te gaan soek na geskikte kandidate vir 'nbepaalde pos.
Dit moet egter in gedagte gehou word dat Munisipaliteite ooreenkomstig die "Wet op gelyke Indiensname"toepaslike stelsels en prosedures moet ontwikkel en aannneem ten einde billike, doeltreffende, effektiewe endeursigtige personeeladministrasie te verseker. Juis om munisipaliteite in staat te stel om dit te bereik treehierdie departement pro-aktief op en word meer mense die geleentheid gegun om op gelyke vlak aansoek tedoen vir 'n bepaalde pos.
We are changing the agenda of local government to developmental local government - My department isextremely pleased with the ability of the municipalities in the Western Cape to entrench integrateddevelopment planning as a new way of doing strategic planning within our communities. This was achievedduring a difficult period of transformation and restructuring of new municipal entities. Municipalities in theWestern Cape have shown their commitment to thinking strategically about the use of their resources andengaging their communities to ensure better service delivery for all. The successes and lessons learnedduring the drafting of integrated development plans in the Western Cape have laid a solid foundation onwhich to build developmental local government. Indeed, partnerships between the spheres of governmentand major service providers are not an option, but a necessity to achieve truly developmental localgovernment.
Since the 5th of December 2000, municipalities have been on a challenging journey towards this sometimeselusiveobjective of being truly developmental. A key instrument in focussing our energy on this journey isthe municipal integrated development plan. We not only see its value in guiding the core business of themunicipality, but in its ability to inform how other spheres of government, service providers and economicroleplayers focus their respective energies in mutual support of municipal development initiatives.
Municipalities in the Western Cape are now able to create new structures to engage with their communities,identify key development challenges, quantify service backlogs and shape new development interventionsand projects. These achievements have started to inform key budget decisions and bode well forentrenching truly developmental local government in our province. This is the key to our common efforts andis reflected in my Ministry and Department's Vision, which is "Developmental Local Government throughPartnerships and Co-responsibility".
Developmental Local government will mean that we have to change the way we do things. We have tochange our narrow visions, we have to change perceptions and fixed ideas. We must not be afraid to tacklenew challenges head-on. We as spheres of government must not limit ourselves to competencies given to usby the constitution or by Acts. By doing this we will indeed improve our systems and we will becomedevelopmental in our approach.
In starting with your training you might have the opportunity to make a direct difference in the lives of millionsof people. My call on you today is to grab this opportunity with both hands - to make a success and tobecome part of the challenging future which lies ahead.
