National government and municipalities have committed to work together to set up professionally managed utilities for improved water and electricity services.
During his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the newly elected seventh democratic Parliament, held in the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that roads in many cities and towns across the country, are not maintained, including water and electricity supply, which is often disrupted.
“Refuse is not collected, and sewage runs in the streets. In part, this has happened because many municipalities lack the technical skills and resources required to meet people’s needs. Many municipalities have not reinvested the revenue they earn from these services into the upkeep of infrastructure,” President Ramaphosa said.
He said the challenges faced by many municipalities have been largely attributed to the design of the local government system.
The President said government is undertaking initiatives to ensure sustained investment and effective maintenance of service delivery within the municipalities.
Local government white paper
The President also announced that government will undertake an extensive consultation to develop an updated White Paper on Local Government to outline a modern and “fit-for-purpose local government system".
“We will review the funding model for municipalities, as many of them do not have a viable and sustainable revenue base. We will continue to work with traditional leaders in the implementation of local development programmes,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President said government will expand its support to municipalities that require assistance, drawing on the lessons of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group.
READ | Build KZN better
President Ramaphosa acknowledged the progress made in eThekwini, as government implements the District Development Model (DDM), which enables all key role players, including government, business, labour, and community-based organisations, to work together.
"As we work to reform the public service and build the capability of the State, we will harness technology to transform the way that government works. We will invest in digital public infrastructure to give South Africans access to government services anytime, anywhere, through a relaunched http://gov.za platform.
“At the heart of this transformation will be the implementation of a digital identity system. These measures will transform the relationship between citizens and government and create one government that is accessible to every person at a touch.” – SAnews.gov.za
