DURBAN - Premier Sihle Zikalala said there were many priorities and challenges brought about by a weakened state of service delivery across all levels of government, and it was clear that KwaZulu-Natal municipalities had also been beset by challenges of governance.
Zikalala was speaking during his opening address at the three-day provincial government lekgotla in Durban which will end on Friday.
The lekgotla sets plans for the financial year and the legislative session unfolding over 2022/23. Among the top issues most complained about by citizens in a Stats SA survey were water and sanitation, electricity, clinics, affordable housing, crime and corruption, and road maintenance.
Zikalalala said that after three days they should be better prepared to address these pressing provincial priorities.
“To support the survey, ahead of the local government elections in 2021, in its own comprehensive assessment of 54 municipalities in the province, Cogta found elements of success, but also massive failures in the local sphere.”
Some of the challenges identified were an infrastructure backlog and gaps in the face of rapid urbanisation; ageing and dilapidated infrastructure and not enough matching revenue for repairs and maintenance; violent community protests usually after complaints about water stoppages or disruptions; complicated Division of Revenue Act provisions, which provide for set-asides for repairs and maintenance but stipulate stringent conditions which makes it inaccessible; high water and electricity losses and a high number of illegal water and electricity connections.
The Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) survey identified challenges around the financial pillar. These were the continued adoption of unfunded budgets in municipalities; inadequate budget allocation for operations and maintenance that leads to dilapidated infrastructure not being repaired; low revenue collection; the slow pace in the institution of consequence management; the absence of a rates base in traditional areas where services are provided, and an unaffordable salary bill in light of shrinking revenue sources.
Zikalala voiced his concern that the province was becoming the capital for murder in the country given the continuous political killings, taxi industry violence and drug-related violence in communities.
He condemned business forums that disrupt construction work and attempt to extort money from construction firms at sites across the province, saying it was not what Radical Economic Transformation stood for.
Zikalala said a KwaZulu-Natal land summit is set to be held in April, with the aim of dealing with the management of land and not ownership.
He said the summit would help the ANC-led provincial government deal with the plight of farmworkers and farm dwellers.
Daily News