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networkingBlazingthe trailfor ProjectConsolidateIn three provinces, a hands-onsupport initiative is showing whatcan be done to improve governanceand service delivery, and sharingits lessons with the national ProjectConsolidate programme.For the past eight months to a year, a team of localand international advisors has been working witheight municipalities, as part of a funded programmecalled the Consolidated Municipal TransformationProgramme (CMTP). Conceived prior to ProjectConsolidate, and funded by the United Kingdom’sDepartment for International Development (DFID), this Departmentof Provincial and Local Government initiative has appointedIntegrated Service Facilitators in each of the participating municipalities.In some, Municipal Finance Advisors, managed byNational Treasury, have also been appointed.The CMTP co-ordinators and facilitators met in Grahamstownwith representatives of DPLG, including Director General LindiweMsengana-Ndlela, Deputy Director General Elroy Africa and headof the national Project Management Unit for Project Consolidate,Freedom Radebe.One of the objectives of the day and a half of frank discussionwas to forge closer links between the CMTP and Project Consolidate.Although most of the CMTP municipalities are not part ofthe 136 identified as part of Project Consolidate, there were manylessons ‘from the coalface’ to be shared.Director General Lindiwe Msengana-Ndlela said the role ofboth the CMTP and Project Consolidate facilitators was clear. ‘Letus recognise progress and communicate our successes, at thesame time acknowledging and defining the nature of problems.Let us provide support to the best of our ability and multiplyourselves.’Director General of the Department of Provincial and Local GovernmentLindiwe Msengana-Ndlela, the Mayor of Makana Vumile Lwana, and DPLGDeputy-Director General, Elroy Africa.Likhaya Ngqezana, from Deloitte Consulting, with the Integrated ServiceFacilitators, from left, Zama Nofemela (Greater Sekhukhune DistrictMunicipality), Gift Madzonga (Cacadu District Municipality), Sam du Preez(Lukhanji Municipality), Barbara Mgutshini (Newcastle Municipality) andDev Rugbeer (uMlalazi).Advisors Sam du Preez, Bob Eskridge and Dev Rugbeer.The question is what will be the measure of success at a municipallevel? Reporting on a recent meeting of the President’sCo-ordinating Council, with SALGA and the nine MECs for localgovernment, the DG said the sector was fortunate to have achampion in President Thabo Mbeki, who would soon begin aMunicipal Imbizo Programme with visits to many municipalitiesto meet with councillors and communities.The focus would be on five key performance areas, in terms ofwhich all municipalities should track their progress.She added that the local government sector had to find its ownsolutions, and this is where the support programmes could be ofassistance.‘Municipalities must not feel all alone and under siege whenthere is the district, the province and the national department toWhere the advisors are assistingThese are the municipalities par ticipating in the Consolidated Municipal TransformationProgramme, with Integrated Service Facilitators (ISF) managed by the Depar tment ofProvincial and Local Government and Municipal Finance Advisors (MFA), managed by NationalTreasury.LimpopoBa-Phalaborwa Municipality, Ferdi Konig (ISF) and Frank Gardiner (MFA), Thulamela Municipality,Andries Mangokwana (ISF), Greater Sekhkhune District Municipality, Zama Nofemela (ISF),James Ashton (MFA).KwaZulu-NataluMlalazi Municipality, Dev Rugbeer (ISF), Ilembe District Municipality, Geoffrey Sheridan (ISF),Charles Cryan (finance), Newcastle Municipality, Barbara Mgutshini (ISF).Eastern CapeLukhanji Municipality, Sam du Preez (ISF) and Bob Eskridge (MFA), Cacadu District Municipality,Gift Madzonga (ISF) and Richard Bowey (MFA).This ar ticle is the first of a three-par tseries on the Consolidated MunicipalTransformation Programme, a two-yearprogramme funded by UKDFID. Lookout for follow-up repor ts in DELIVERY.For more infor mation, contact theProgramme Co-ordinator Subethri Naidooat the Department of Provincial and LocalGovernment, (012) 334-0770 or emailSubethri@dplg.gov.zaassist in a range of ways.’Then each of the Integrated Service Facilitatorsand Municipal Finance Advisorsshared their experiences.In uMlalazi in KwaZulu-Natal, thedevelopment challenges are immense.Dev Rugbeer said that it would take anestimated R3 billion to eradicate servicedelivery backlogs, while the current capitalbudget was only R179 million. Povertyand unemployment are high, with 36% ofresidents HIV positive and growing municipaldebt. He has suggested a rangeof measures, including addressing thetransformation of the municipal administration.In Newcastle, Zimbabwean BarbaraMgutshini has focused on improvingcommunication, working with the politicaland administrative arms of council,including the party caucuses, as well asexternally with local media.On the Dolphin Coast at Ilembe DistrictMunicipality – where 74% of the populationis unemployed or economically inactiveand 49% of the population is under 20years old – Geoff Sheridan from Australiahas had success engaging organisationslike Rotary with projects. His other areasof focus are addressing the lack of communicationbetween the district and localmunicipalities through a protocol policy,initiating a quality of life survey, and devisinga workplace skills plan to addressthe low morale and lack of managementskills.‘You’ve got one of the most modern localgovernment systems in the world. Youare creating history and it’s really excitingto be part of that,’ he said.The Limpopo municipalities on the programmehave recorded some positive experiences.In Ba-Phalaborwa, Ferdi Konighas worked with the management teamwhich has developed a fully compliantIDP, performance management system,budget and service delivery and budgetimplementation plan, with budget programmesand key performance indicators.The municipality has also establisheda strategic planning unit that includesstakeholders from the business sector.In Thulamela, there is a similar storyof inadequate resources, increasing levelsof debt and basic services backlogs.However, ISF Andries Mangokwana ismaking a positive contribution, prioritisingdeveloping a local economic developmentstrategy and a workplace skills planthat will help the municipality claim backsome of the R24 000 a month it pays to theLocal Government and Water SETA.In Lukhanji in the Eastern Cape, Samdu Preez is working alongside AmericanBob Eskridge, who is the municipal financialadvisor. ‘Smaller municipalities havethe same problems as bigger municipalities,but proportionally the challenge canbe greater,’ commented Eskridge. Bothadvisors have worked with the mayorand management to produce a coherentIDP linked to the budget, and to ensurecompliance with the Municipal FinanceManagement Act (MFMA).Eskridge said the basic idea was to havegood financial information that leads toinformed decision-making which in turnleads to better service delivery.Richard Bowey from Cacadu District Municipalityand Geoff Sheridan from Ilembe DistrictMunicipality.Andries Mangokwana, ISF from ThulamelaMunicipality in Limpopo, with the municipality’snewsletter.Cacadu District Municipality has theservices of Gift Madzonga and RichardBowey and is extremely grateful for theassistance. ‘They have helped us tremendously,’said Municipal Manager TedPillay. One of the key interventions hasbeen a district-wide growth and developmentplan allied to the provincial strategyand assisting the municipality to producean in-house IDP for the first time. ‘Thereshould be more encouragement for newmunicipal officials to learn in action,’ saidBowey. ‘Try something, celebrate successes,learn from mistakes and next time itwill be better. Understand that managinga municipality is part of a process of continuousimprovement.’This applies to all South African municipalities,grappling with challengesand the complexities of a relatively newsystem. With the hands-on support ofprogrammes like the CMTP and ProjectConsolidate, improved performance andbetter service delivery are on the way. 32 | DELIVERY DELIVERY | 33

networkingWhat’s happening in Makana Municipality?Head of the national Project Management Unityfor Project Consolidate, Freedom Radebe,and Zama from Greater Sekhukhune DistrictMunicipality.There’s nothing like having the DirectorGeneral in town to inspire a local municipalityto showcase its service delivery projects.So when the team from DPLG and theadvisors from eight other municipalities metin Grahamstown, the Makana Municipalitytook them on a site visit.First stop was a new subsidised housingproject on the outskirts of the historic town.While the rows of homes look adequate, withelectricity and water-borne sewerage, it wasclear that challenges remain. The streets areuntarred and without storm water drainage,and community facilities are absent.Councillors and officials said that R570of each subsidy had been earmarked forcommunity facilities, but that it had beendecided to spend this money on providingstreet lighting, which would provide greaterlevels of safety in the hillside community.DG Lindiwe Msengana-Ndlela said thatwhile housing delivery was impor tant,the local council had to bear in mind thenational policy of creating sustainablehuman settlements. Creativity was neededto access fur ther funding necessary toprovide the additional infrastructure required,to improve access to transport and to linkthe township with the town itself.On the other side of town, an innovativepartnership between the Makana Municipalityand Rhodes University is underway torestore the neglected Botanical Gardensand turn them into a facility that can beused by everyone – from schoolchildrenand residents to the student community andvisitors to Grahamstown. The 17-hectaresite is being transformed with a major grantfrom the Department of Environment andTourism’s pover ty relief funding. So far48 jobs have been created for formerlyunemployed young people, mainly women,who have also received skills training. Pathsare being built, ponds and water featuresre-established, fencing installed and alienvegetation removed, and there are plans toturn a historic cottage into a visitors centreand tea room. Experts from KirstenboschGardens are assisting with naming trees andreplanting.Already new life has been breathed into thearea, once a favoured choice for weddingphotographs and community picnics. Largegroups of schoolchildren, including fromtownship schools, are visiting the gardens.‘This is a great project that brings togetherheritage and the environment and helps totranscend divisions of the past,’ said LindiweMsengana-Ndlela. ‘Isn’t there a way thatwe can extend the benefits of this project tothe undeveloped green areas on the otherside of town? We have just come from anarea with an undeveloped green belt andlittle in the way of recreational facilities, solet’s come up with a plan to develop anotherphase that will make a difference there.’Enthusiastic councillors and officials,as well as the project co-ordinators fromthe university, agreed that it was indeedfeasible.Formerly unemployed young women working inthe Botanical Gardens.Subsidy housing development in Grahamstown.Councilllors and officials briefing trade-offbetween community facilities and street lighting.Director General Lindiwe Msengana-Ndlela talksabout achieving sustainable settlements.Councillors Phumla Matyumza and NdumisoMadinda from the Makana Municipality.Mark Hazell from Rhodes University showsthe group plans for restoring the gardens, aneducation centre, tourism facility and tea room.34 | DELIVERY DELIVERY | 35