Director of Proceedings,
Head of Provincial Local Government, Ms Majiet,
Mayors and Councillors,
SALGA-WC Representatives,
Honoured Guests,
Comrades and Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Speaking at the United Nations Millennium Summit, President Mbeki laid the gauntlet of what faces nation states and humanity as:
"The fundamental challenge that faces this Millennium Summit is that, credibly, we must demonstrate the will to end poverty and underdevelopment" President Mbeki 2000, UN Millennium Summit.

As a country that is signatory to numerous international protocols and commitments, including those of the UN, but more critically, those that seek to end poverty, underdevelopment and homelessness, we are bound in ensuring that we put in place and operate a system of governance that addresses those key imperatives.

Our country's attempt to address our national imperatives are fashioned along the lines of these protocols, housing for instance as envisaged by the Habitat agenda, sustainable development as guided by the resolutions of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, responsible development and governance and development under the requirements of Local Agenda 21.

We have had to play a leading role in all fronts buoyed by our past experiences of injustice and a strong zeal seeking to make sure that tomorrow becomes better than yesterday. We have managed to stabilise and grow as a state in as far as governance and around matters of good and sustained service delivery, we have managed under trying times to steer our national economy into a good growth path.

The President has over the past few weeks had to explain to the world the phenomenal strengthening of our currency which has grown despite fluctuations typical to some of the leading world currencies, in the past week, the Rand broke the $6.00 for the first time since the introduction of a single currency. The economy is at its strongest form since the pre Second World War industrial boom which bolstered the economy through the manufacturing sector.

Both the attributes and the benefits of this economic surge are to the people of South Africa who stayed true and committed to a naturally redistributive type of economy. These gains we have been able to achieve despite less than expected real external direct investment.

The interest rates are also at their lowest, with Prime at 11% whilst the Repo rate is at 7.5%. This wave of good news sounds the call of better promise to businesses many of whom we enlist in our municipalities for services, the average buying power of people has been increased and the spending during this season has outstripped that of the previous 20years.

The challenge that still faces us as a country in this regard is a need to impress savings among our people. Perhaps, the recent launch of the Mzantsi Bank Account will immensely assist in banking millions who over the years have wanted to save but were excluded by system and laws. The economic benefits have sunk in and continue to sink deep and this can only spell more benefits to municipalities in terms of cash in circulation and payment for services.

I am addressing you in the wake of my visit to the Eastern Cape, during which I had the opportunity to meet with the key players of the municipality that walked away as an overall winner of the national Vuna Award last year.

I had the opportunity to scrutinise the manner in which meaningful work could take place between C and B municipalities. Most importantly, to see how boundaries are pushed in an attempt to deliver services to people, reshaping and aligning policies to help expedite rolling out of government programmes.

The intentions of that visit were to learn and possibly find solutions on what we can do in order for our municipalities to deliver at that enviable pace. In that trip, I was accompanied by some councillors and functionaries in some of our municipalities who wanted to network and forge relations with their counterparts, that was an encouraging move. Encouraging also because we are trying to dispel this notion that we cannot learn from our own, the behaviour steeped towards the talk of autonomy and each province behaving like an island.

The challenges that we face are nearly similar across the length and breath of our country's landscape, this is so because of the past separate development practices that saw futile and expensive attempts in fostering segregation.

Our taking to those municipalities that have found some ways of overcoming bureaucratic drawbacks is aimed at fast tracking our dealing with the immediate challenge of the disparate levels of development in our municipalities.

The President reminded addressing the SALGA Conference recently held in Cape Town that:
"All of us here are acutely aware of the disparities and imbalances that exist among municipalities, as, for instance, between our metropolitan and rural district municipalities. Similarly, we are perfectly sensitised about the disparities and imbalances within individual municipalities, as, for instances, between the historically black and the historically white sections within these areas" President Mbeki, September 2004.

The past 10 years have seen significant milestones achieved in the country. Among these I can briefly share the following:

• 10million South Africans had potable water for the first time in their lives.
• In the Western Cape, electricity is being rolled out at a cost of over R18mil/month.
• Free water in the Western Cape is also being rolled out at a monthly cost of R7mil.
• Free sanitation is also being rolled out guided by indigent policies and property valuations per area.

An SABC/Markinor study revealed that this year (2004):

• 81% of South Africans are happy with the manner in which Free Basic Services (FBS) is being dealt with. There was a 78% approval from the Western Cape participants.
• 68% are satisfied with the government programme in the building of houses.
• 66% felt that government was handling the economy fairly well.
• 42% South Africans believe that their family livelihoods has significantly improved.
• 63% felt that the country holds great prospects for their children.
• Nearly 60% felt that their living standards are improving.
• Nearly 80% saw good future prospects overall in the country.

Challenges:

• 70% feel that as government we are not handling the issue of reducing unemployment very well.
• Putting in place sustainable service delivery programmes for the indigent.
• Deal with the 144 000 who are without proper sanitation in the province.
• Deal with the 320 000 housing backlog.
• Strive to meet the 2006 of eradicating the nearly 260 informal settlements in the province.
• Deal with skewed capital expenditure which has resulted on some of our municipal roads deteriorating.

Earlier on in this financial year, more specifically during my tabling of the Policy Statement for the provincial Department of Local Government, I extensively dealt with the demands placed on municipalities as the coalface of government, I went on to mention that during my tenure with this department a great deal more innovation would be demanded from Councils and municipalities in answering to the demands of the people voted for their wishes.

Today we meet to acknowledge the work of those municipalities who answered to that clarion call which I made during that address. We have joined together this evening as practitioners and beneficiaries in the sphere of local government to reflect and rejoice to some formidable responses to objective challenges against service delivery, to learn and commit to cross pollinate and improve.

The month of December shall mark the end of the Third Year of the new system of local government which has committed the sphere of local government onto a developmental trajectory, organised and funded in such a manner that we can undo the past injustices, especially underdevelopment and putting up a formidable fight against poverty.

We are gathered here this evening to acknowledge and recognise Western Cape municipalities that have notably striven for service delivery excellence, but to also implore those who fell short in qualifying to continue trying their level best.

This, we are asking of all municipalities not for the sake of them striving to win, rather for the benefit of the masses of our people within their jurisdiction who must gain access most importantly to the free basic services that government must render in order to uphold their Human Rights as enshrined in our constitution.

As we are aware, 2004 marks the Second Year of the Vuna Awards, a special kind of award that is presented as a token of acknowledging a dedicated attempt to overcoming both subjective and objective challenges in the process of service delivery. As someone once said:
"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles and triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats". Author unknown

Such challenges for instance would range from financial, institutional, structural, infrastructural, geographical, human capital, etc. impeding or enabling outstanding delivery of government services.

The year 2004 has seen a focused attention to local government performance and issues of sustainability from as high up in political leadership as the Office of the President, such attention denotes the significant role of municipalities in extending as far deep as possible the tentacles of government programmes to reach even the most remotely located community in our country.

The commitment to pursue a developmental local government has in essence ensured that we formulate longer term desirable state of municipalities whilst dealing with pressing imperatives such as viability, amalgamation, integration of local development plans, setting up and ensuring operation of advisory networks thereby deepening public participation.

This year also witnesses a strong realignment of provincial government programmes in order to play the best possible supportive role to local government. Within this department, two major and very significant programmes are being rolled out, viz. Community Development Workers and Project Consolidate.

These two provide a strand, a framework and an environment within which real linkages both in the area of infrastructure development and human resource capacity can facilitate between the three spheres of government.

Experience over the past 10years has revealed disparity both in terms of amenities, institutions and lack of knowledge around the services people should be receiving from government resulting in them being locked into a state of unnecessary struggle and deprivation.

In my previous tenure with the provincial Department of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation I had seen many a cases where people who qualified for social grants could not access them due to not having the required documentation because they could not get to the nearest relevant government office.

As evident on the profiles of the municipalities that have been short listed, it is not because they had no challenges that they have excelled, it is not because they had abundant resources at their disposal, neither that they are favoured, but that they made an extra ordinary effort to overcome challenges and answer to the call of the people on whose behalf they hold and disburse their budget allotment.

Programme Director, it is commendable that after only the Third Year of overhauling and setting up an institution one would have a qualified excellence commendation.
What we must bear in mind is that, it is also and mostly the people who judged if their municipalities have excelled in delivering services, an important stakeholder and indicator of efforts to deepen democracy, an epitome of the cry for the people to govern!

It is also encouraging and validating that we are meeting and speaking of positive achievements when the country is experiencing euphoria of good moments both in the social and economic realm.

We have read of cases where all South Africans have recently indicated that indeed life for them has improved for the better over the last 5years, that their future looks promising, that governance has stabilised and trustworthy, that they can feel the effects of real economic growth, etc.

The function that you are gracing with your attendance tonight intended to evoke nothing less than the excellence it overtly purports to recognise. Tonight we are conferring these awards not based on our subjective preferences, but as voted for by the people whom these outstanding municipalities serve.

The Vuna Awards we are awarding tonight embody in them the following essence and spirit:

• Seek to restore public confidence in local government around their statutory function of service delivery.
• Providing for an opportunity to monitor and enhance municipal performance around key programmes and functions deemed important for efficiency and sustainability.
• Provide an opportunity for public participation not only during the nomination for the Awards but in planning and implementation of municipal key and special developmental programmes.
• Seeks to provide municipalities and other spheres of government with an opportunity to make people aware of government services they render in a very unique and strategic sense.
• To invoke strong attempts aimed at improving service delivery excellence.
• To provide a scope to dispel misconceptions around the dichotomy of best versus efficient municipalities as ideal stand alone management outcomes of municipalities.

Having outlined the essence of the Awards, allow me to congratulate the short listed municipalities and take the opportunity to wish the winners tonight who will be representing the province at the national level all the best!

I must say that both the trend and the pace of community involvement in municipalities in the province is encouraging. I will soon be officially launching the Ward Committees programme to be rolled out in all qualifying municipalities.

I trust that much and fitting enthusiasm will go into rolling that programme out as both per the requirement of Chapter Four of the Municipal Structures Act and also because it is the right thing to do and a long overdue one for the province.

Addressing the Inaugural Vuna Awards last year, the Hon Minister Mufamadi reminded that:
"When we urged our people to participate in the 2000 local government elections, we said they must do so that democracy and development may happen in their local areas. We must continue to impress on them the fact that the future of any municipality is the responsibility of its residents - individual or corporate". Min Mufamadi, Vuna Awards 2003

Today we are witness to the benefits of what Minister Mufamadi alluded to.

I must thank you ladies and gentlemen for lending me your ears and for being witness to a strong national programme aimed at changing the manner in which municipalities deal with the people they serve. We can only grow in strength henceforth.

Allow me to use once again in parting the words of President Mbeki when he addressed the national municipal leadership at the SALGA Conference when he appealed that:
"In this regard, we must, in good time, produce the results we need to produce, of an equitable society and a better life for all, within each of our municipalities, between urban and rural municipalities, and among all our people throughout our country, wherever they live".

The winners among the nominees tonight have assisted in putting a magnificent fight against national imperatives, and I ask you to join me in conferring these awards of excellence to them, to salute their commitment and toast to their achievement!