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Presentation to President Thabo Mbeki Western Cape Provincial Imbizo 2007 . Helen Zille Executive Mayor of Cape Town 22 July 2007. Contents. Background and context of this report. Local Government’s Core Mandate. Local Government Responsibilities.
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Presentation to President Thabo MbekiWestern Cape Provincial Imbizo2007 Helen Zille Executive Mayor of Cape Town 22 July 2007
Local Government Responsibilities • The core functions that Local Government must perform are set out in the following documents: • Chapter 7, ss156 of the Constitution - Powers and Functions of Municipalities • Part B of Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution • Local Government Legislation • IGR Framework Act • Local Government is also guided by: • White Papers • Programmes of Action
Initial Focus on Organisational Stability • Legacy of 7 municipalities not properly realigned into 1 following formation of Unicity in 2000 • City initiated Organisational Realignment Project • Executive Management Team aligned with Mayco portfolio structure • Placement of 21 500 employees into 1 realigned organisational structure with basic parity based on benchmark grades, salary scale & conditions of service • Reversing exodus of skills by proactively filling critical vacancies – So far 1800 new appointments made, 1200 to follow in year ahead • Focus for next 3 years • to become internally efficient, to improve service delivery and to streamline transactions with customers (businesses and general public)
IDP focus: Infrastructure Led Economic Growth • Core objective is to increase public investment in municipal infrastructure and services to lead economic growth and job creation • City implemented above-inflation increase in rates and service charges for new infrastructure and to address service delivery backlogs, especially in sewerage, electricity and transport infrastructure • Sustained under-investment in key infrastructure needs to be corrected • Capital budget therefore increased from R2.5bn (2006/2007) to R4bn (2007/2008) • Operating Budget increased to ensure City has capacity to spend capital budget (especially to fund maintenance and filling of critical vacancies)
Local Economic Development • Improve access to ICT by establishing Municipal Broadband Network (R400m business plan currently under discussion) • Already established 4 Digital Business Centres to extend small business access to IT and Web (Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Langa) • Improve SMME access to finance through Business Place; joint public/private sector initiative (including Investec, Umsobomvu Youth Fund) with R2,1m loan funding granted in last 12 months • Continued focus on internal efficiency, reducing transaction turnaround time and reducing red tape (guided by WESGRO’s investment constraints review) • Build partnerships in Tourism to create labour intensive economic opportunities
Housing and Basic Services • Housing backlog in city: housing database currently contains around 400 000 applicants • With limited resources in context of massive scale of need, our focus is on provision of basic services and an incremental approach to housing provision • City accelerated provision of housing opportunities – 2003/04 - 1 808 housing opportunities 2004/05 - 3 469 housing opportunities 2005/06 - 4 585 housing opportunities 2006/07 - 7 530 housing opportunities • Informal Settlements Master Plan sets out framework for provision of services & upgrading of all 226 informal settlements around City. Completion of phase 1(essential services) within 2 years. • Rate of housing delivery constrained by: • Land shortage for housing: 8,750 hectares required • Delays in Housing Accreditation for Cape Town • EIA, TIA and other legislative processes – It currently takes between 18 to 24 months to release land before a housing project can start
Key Programmes & Projects • Presidential Urban Renewal Programme: • Continued progress on key anchor projects as well as the eight projects being implemented as part of Project Consolidate • Funding issues with regard to certain projects (e.g. Budgeted funds late or not yet available for Lentegeur Public Transport Interchange & Station Upgrade) • Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP): • Well established and mainstreamed, 10 817 jobs created to date • City’s draft policy to guide employment of people from community within EPWP presently being debated in Committee system of Council - policy became necessary to counter irregularities arising from patronage in selection of workers
2010 Soccer World Cup • 2010 stadium will be substantially complete by end of 2009 • Critical risk: • exposure to excessive price increases from construction industry with serious capacity problems • demanding timelines are being closely managed • 2010 Joint Host City Transport Plan in being implemented • As part of World Cup: • Green Point common area is being redeveloped into consolidated sports precinct & urban park • 23 public viewing spaces being established (one in each sub-council)
Good Governance • Provincial Imbizo & IDP Workshops: Various Provincial Imbizo & IDP Public-, Sub-Council- & Ward workshops held for public to identify their local & metropolitan priorities - Problem: Need for better coordination between City and Province as times/programmes of the Provincial Imbizo process clashed with City’s IDP public participation • Ward Forums:City is implementing ward forums to facilitate participation by local communities. In this regard, the City is exercising its discretion as granted by Section 72 of the Municipal Structures Act • Strengthening of Institutions: CTRU, Wesgro and other agencies to improve governance. Performance review of CTRU showed failure to meet required standards. Engagement between City and CTRU is ongoing.
Blockages • Housing - biggest constraint is access to well-located land for incremental housing development – will be facilitated by: • Making available state-owned land for affordable housing (e.g. Culemborg, Youngsfield, Ysterplaat) • Provision of funding by Dept of Land Affairs will assist acquisition of land for housing. City has not had response to repeated requests in this regard. • Housing - delay in granting City Phase 1 of housing accreditation is limiting capacity to accelerate housing delivery (backlog of approximately 400 000 grows by 16,000 per year – we must therefore create over 16,000 opportunities per year to reduce backlog) • Housing - Development & investment will be facilitated by reducing ‘red tape’ with respect to planning legislation & EIA / housing subsidy applications
Blockages (continued) • Budget - implementation of projects and expenditure of budget can be improved through: • better alignment of planning & budgeting processes of all spheres, including SOEs • speedier transfer of funding • review of supply chain management regulations • Issue of unfunded mandates critical & requires urgent resolution by Provincial & National Government • Electricity – Problems around electricity provision by ESKOM – delays in electricity provision in Eskom supply areas • Safety and Security – Important that organisational structures set out in National Drug Master Plan adhered to by Province and City so that roles / responsibilities within spheres of government are clearly defined and two spheres can co-ordinate
Conclusion • City made substantial progress to ensure that foundations of service delivery are firmly in place • Focus in terms of 2007/08 IDP & Budget is on infrastructure-led economic growth for job creation • Room for improvement of co-operative governance – in many areas our role as local government would be greatly facilitated through better coordination between spheres of government • City is committed to intergovernmental processes within its constitutional mandate