Nkomazi Local Municipality 20 - Co-operative Governance and ...

19.2. Disaster Management PlanThis plan has been formulated to:Set out institutional arrangements within the Municipality, within a disaster management context.Define roles and responsibilities of key personnel.Clearly define lines of communication.Set out the strategy for financial and administrative arrangements.Define and prioritize short to medium term disaster management aims and objectives of the municipality.19.3. Financial Management PlanThis Financial Plan is intended to provide a foundation for the development of new revised financial policies, practices andprocedures as they are needed. It is intended to generate, document and evaluate issues and possible actions surrounding fourkey financial areas: Cost Recovery, Access to Capital, Financial Risk Metrics, Good/ Bad Year Financial Planning. Nkomazi LocalMunicipality expects that the breadth and depth of issues and actions considered in this Financial Plan will continue to evolve asconditions change and new ideas are developed and that the ideas described in this document will guide the implementation ofspecific, actionable proposals for implementing the financial policies future rates cases. Descriptions of current budget policiesand Nkomazi Local Municipality’s expectations about sustainability of financial viability and management are summarized below.The Financial Plan reflects current policies and anticipates those for the future. The purpose is to design financial policies in linewith National Treasury Guidelines and the Municipal Finance Management Act No.56 of 2003 that will ensure Nkomazi LocalMunicipality’s ability to increase its revenue base by providing rate predictability during budget process planning.This Financial Plan identifies long term financial issues and provides strategies or suggests alternative to address them. Thepurpose of the plan is to generate, document and evaluate selected issues within a financial framework that will help guideNkomazi Local Municipality’s financial direction. Nkomazi Local Municipality intends to review, revise and update the FinancialPlan periodically on annual basis.19.4. Local Economic Development StrategyThe strategy is based on identified development needs, opportunities and comparative advantages of the area, providing theMunicipality with guidelines to create and facilitate economic development, realize the underlying economic developmentpotential, and encourage private sector investment and job creation. The strategy should foster the exploitation of strengthsand opportunities in order to minimize the weaknesses and threats of the municipality. The strategy should therefore beused as a tool by the municipality to ensure dedicated and effective utilization of available resources and to promote localeconomic development in a proactive and dynamic manner. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the region (on aneconomic basis) and to identifytrends and gaps within the economic base. The identification of opportunities and strategies follow this, in order to assist themunicipality in addressing the creation of employment19.5. Water Services Development PlanThe Nkomazi Local Municipality is the authorized Water Services Authority and as such the relevant sections of the WaterServices Act (No 108 of 1997) and the Municipal Systems Act (No 32 of 2000) must be adhered to.Section 11 of the Water Services Act states, that:1) Every water services authority has a duty to all consumers or potential consumers in its area of jurisdiction toprogressively ensure efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable access to water services.2) This duty is subject to -a) the availability of resources;b) the need for an equitable allocation of resources to all consumers and potential consumers within theauthority’s area of jurisdiction;c) the need to regulate access to water services in an equitable way;d) the duty of consumers to pay reasonable charges, which must be in accordance with any prescribednorms and standards for tariffs for water services;i. ```the duty to conserve water resources;e) the nature, topography, zoning and situation of the land in question; andf) The right of the relevant water services authority to limit or discontinue the provision of water services ifthere is a failure to comply with reasonable conditions set for the provision of such services.3) In ensuring access to water services, a water services authority must take into account, among other factors –NKLM Integrated Development Plan 2012_2013 123