Maphumulo IDP - KZN Development Planning

2.6.6 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER (CDW) PROGRAMMEAt present moment, Maphumulo has a total of 8 community development workers (CDWs’)covering 8 wards of the municipality. Other 3 wards are not presented by CDW. This thereforeposes a challenge for the Municipality as it is heavily relying on the CDW assistance inidentifying indigent communities so as to provide free basic services. The Indigent Registerdata is currently being updated.CDWs are functional, but not to a full extent as there is a challenge of resource shortages (i.e.Office space being the major challenge). CDWs are currently working as coordinators in theOperation Sukuma-Sakhe project which is a project implemented by the municipality inpartnership with Premiers office and various government departments.2.6.7 COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STRATEGYThe Municipal Systems Act provides for municipalities to establish structured mechanisms forpublic participation to ensure participation of community members in all Municipalprogrammes. The Act stipulates that the Municipality must develop and adopt a CommunityCommunication Strategy Plan. The strategy serves as the guiding tool on how the communityis engaged to give their inputs and suggestions on services, projects and programmesoffered by the Municipality. In line with the Municipal Systems Act Maphumulo Municipalitydeveloped a Community Communication Strategy mapping the ways of engagingcommunity members in all Municipal activities. The Strategy also indicates the tools that areemployed when engaging communities and these include, radio slots, press, publications,flyers, notices, izimbizo etc. Also identified are the institutions that have been put in place toensure that the objectives of engaging communities are achieved.These structures include Ward Committees that have been established as per the directivesof the Municipal Structures Act, IDP Stakeholders Forum, Housing Forum, Amakhosi,Community Development Workers, NGOs and NPOs, IDP Steering Committee, YouthFormations. In order to strengthen public participation and ensure compliance with the legalframework for public participation the Department of Local Government and TraditionalAffairs has rendered financial support aimed at engaging a dedicated human resource todeal solely with overall public participation as it emanates from various municipal legislationi.e. Municipal Finance Management Act (2003), the Municipal Property Rates Act (2004), theMunicipal Systems Act (2000), the Municipal Structures Act (1998) and the Constitution of theRepublic of South Africa. The municipality is currently reviewing the strategy to ensure that itremains responsive to needs on the ground.The key priority issues that need to be taken forward in the IDP Process are:• More capacity building and training programmes for councillors and wardcommittee members required• Both the Municipality and COGTA need to devise innovative ways of addressing thecurrent situation in those wards that are not represented.2.6.8 SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDINGThe Skills Development Act requires that all employers, including municipalities, must developa Work Place Skills Plan (WSP). The WSP is a one year workplace plan (reviewed annually)that is developed indicating the skills gaps, analysis and attributes identified in a particularyear. This is also in line with Objective 2 of the National Skills Development Strategy, whichadvocates for “Promoting and accelerating quality training for all in the workplace”. TheWSP outlines the training and capacity building programmes to address the gaps and buildcapacity. The programme consists of a skills programme which is occupational based andthe learnerships which are made up of structured learning component. Every year the__________________________________________________________________________________________Maphumulo Integrated Development Plan (IDP) 2012 - 2013Final June 2012Page 53 of 142