STAKEHOLDER BOSBERAAD DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF THE MUNICIPAL DEMARCATION BOARD Landiwe J Mahlangu Chairperson: MDB Hillary R Monare Chief Executive Officer

19 June 2009

THE BOARD

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Current Board assumed office on 20 Feb 2009.

The Board comprise of the following members:

         

Mr. Landiwe Mahlangu (Chairperson) Ms. Nondumiso Gwayi (Deputy Chair) Dr. Vuyo Mlokoti Khosi Tshililo Jeffrey Ramovha Prof. Nico Steytler Me. Wendy Ovens Mr. Ashraf Adam Mr. LD Tsotetsi Me. Lynelle John Me. Grace Castle

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STRATEGIC THEMES, KEY OUTPUTS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES

Strategic Plan for the period 2009/10 -2012/13 approved by the Board.

Plan identifies six strategic themes to focus and guide the organisation over the next four financial years.

The themes therefore represent our strategic priorities for the period, and they are as follows: 1.

Determination and re-determination of municipal boundaries and categorisation and re-categorisation of municipalities. 2.

3.

4.

5.

Facilitate accountable local government, contribute to free and fair local elections and promote democracy.

Assessment of the capacity of District and Local municipalities in order to advise MECs for local government in their decision to adjust powers and functions between District and Local municipalities.

Ensuring that the Board is supported by an effective and efficient organisational structure. Ensuring that good governance arrangements remain in place at the Board.

6.

Ensuring sound financial management.

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STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 1

: Determination and re-determination of municipal boundaries and Categorisation and re-categorisation of municipalities

      Involves a continuous interactive process of reconfiguration and alignment of municipal boundaries.

Board’s priority to work closely with other organs of state dealing with boundary issues. Board must work on an ongoing basis with institutions such as the Provincial Departments of Local Government, Independent Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), Statistics SA (StatsSA) , CSIR, Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CGTA), Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, and others.

One of the important areas in which the Board plans to continue working closely with CGTA, Rural Development and Land Reform, Water and Environmental Affairs and the Provincial Departments of Local Government/Cooperative Governance is an endeavour to create a credible set of boundaries for traditional areas, a project being led by CGTA.

Another area of work is with respect to assisting the Department of Justice & CD and the South African Police Service, to finalise the alignment of the boundaries of magisterial districts and police areas to municipal boundaries.

For the years 2009/10 and 2010/11, there will be no re-determination of municipal boundaries. Re-determinations were suspended at the end of August 2008.

This is to create stability in order for preparations for the next local government elections in 2011 to proceed without hindrance.

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STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 2:

Facilitate accountable local government, contribute to free and fair local elections and promote democracy

     By its delimitation of municipal wards, the Municipal Demarcation Board creates the spatial environment within which citizens/voters can exercise their basic rights, express themselves with respect to the councillors to be elected, and local matters such as service delivery.

Ward delimitation must be done in terms of Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998, in preparation for the local government elections which are envisaged for March 2011.

The process requires action by key stakeholders. In terms of the Structures Act, 1998, the National Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs must publish a formula for the determination of the number of councillors. This is followed by the actual determination of the number of councillors by the MEC’s responsible for local government, the determination of the number of wards by the Municipal Demarcation Board and then the delimitation of ward boundaries by the Municipal Demarcation Board. 5

STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 2:

Facilitate accountable local government, contribute to free and fair local elections and promote democracy

  Original timelines for the ward delimitation were aimed at allowing maximum time for consultations with all stakeholders on ward boundaries.

For 2009/10, the process was to in terms of our original plan include:   Formal consultation between the Board, SALGA, the IEC and communities as required by the Structures Act; Draft boundaries for the estimated 4000 wards;     Consult with the public regarding ward boundaries; Publish Gazettes of ward boundaries for objections; Establish delimitation committees to consider objections to ward boundaries; Confirm final ward boundaries in Provincial Gazettes.

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STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 2:

Facilitate accountable Local government, contribute to free and fair local elections and promote democracy.

 Ward delimitation would be finalised in 2010/11. Activities would include:  Publish Gazettes of ward boundaries for objections;   Establish delimitation committees to consider objections to ward boundaries; Confirm final ward boundaries in Provincial Gazettes.   Submission of ward boundaries to the IEC; Calling of the elections date (Minister);  The electoral process (IEC) and local elections.

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Phases

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4

Time frames

March 2009 April 2009 – December 2009 January – February 2010 March – August 2010 August 2010 – March 2011      

Process

 Division of the national common municipal segments – IEC; voters’ roll into Publish formula for the number of councillors Publish number of councillors – MECs.

– Minister;   Preparation of first set of draft ward maps Launch of consultative process – MDB; – MDB, municipalities, provinces, SALGA & other stakeholders; Local consultations – Municipalities, ward committees and local stakeholders; Finalisation of municipal proposals with MDB involvement, where necessary – MDB, municipalities, representatives of ward committees, Provincial Department of local government, SALGA’s provincial office, and other local stakeholders selected by municipalities.

 Review ward boundaries based on inputs from municipalities and local stakeholders – MDB.

  Gazette ward boundaries in Provincial Gazettes for objections – MDB & public Consider objections, and, based on objections, arrange public hearings, if necessary – MDB & Delimitation Committees Gazette final confirmed and varied ward maps - MDB; Hand over to the IEC for the 2011 electoral process – MDB & IEC  Electoral process – IEC 8

STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 2:

Facilitate accountable local government, contribute to free and fair local elections and promote democracy.

  However the Minister has not yet released the formula.

In our visits to new MECs responsible for local government, we request them to speed up their determination of the number of councillors, so as to minimise time lost for the process.

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STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 3:

Assessment of the capacity of District and Local municipalities

     To provide quality annual assessment of Municipal Capacity and recommendations to MEC’s responsible for local government regarding adjustment of powers and functions. To prevent ad hoc assessments, the MDB has thus far done capacity assessments on an annual basis The purpose of the assessments is to empower MECs to adjust functions between district and local municipalities The MEC may only adjust a function where a municipality lacks the capacity to perform a function Once an adjustment has been made the MEC must regularly review the capacity of the affected municipalities, and re-adjust a function with the concurrence of the receiving municipality 10

STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 3:

Assessment of the capacity of District and Local municipalities

 Process involves:  Gathering of data for all district and local municipalities;   Collected data fully analysed and ready for report writing by end October of each year; Issue 46 district reports including 231 local municipalities by December of each year.  Issue nine provincial and one national report by end of March each year 11

STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 4:

Board is supported by an effective and efficient organisational structure.

      

Our priority is to:

Continuously build the capacity of the Board’s internal machinery.

Streamline internal processes to improve operational efficiency, flexibility and work prioritisation.

Have Skilled, well-led and experienced staff.

Have Effective systems and support processes.

Develop strong relationships with Government and other state agencies, data providers, data users and citizens.

With respect to a strategy on the Use of External Service Providers  Use of external service providers that is aimed at optimising financial resources.

 Expenditure on external service providers that is progressively predictable, and that follows a logical pattern.

 Use of external service providers to add value to the work of the Board and to grow a pool of professionals to provide service and advice.

 Use of external service providers in such a way as to empower the employees of the Board. 12

STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 5: Ensuring good governance

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Strategic Theme 5

: Ensuring Good Governance.

Compliance with legal frameworks.

Efficient and effective administrative processes and systems.

Improvement of the quality and usage of management information.

Planning and execution of activities within budget.

Effective management of risks.

Effective leadership, management and decision-making.

External auditing; Improve effectiveness of the internal audit function, by ensuring full compliance to Treasury Regulations regarding Internal Audit methodology; Formulate and review policies and procedures.

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STRATEGIC THEME/PRIORITY 6: Ensuring sound financial management

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Strategic Theme 6

: Ensuring Sound Financial Management  Effective management of working capital.

  Prepare and manage short and long term budgets.

Control costs consistently.

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CAPACITY OF THE BOARD: BUDGET FOR THE MTEF PERIOD 2009 TO 2013 Item 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013

Total budgeted expenditure 38 575 345 34 801 000 2008 MTEF Allocation Variance (Deficit) / Surplus % Variance (Deficit) / Surplus -3 774 345 -11% 37 563 000 37 563 000 0 0% 31 449 541 39 817 000 8 367 459 21% 33 108 518 33 108 518 0 0% 15

CAPACITY OF THE BOARD: EXPECTED OTHER INCOME Items

Revenue – Maps Interest Income

Total 2009/2010

85 000 375 000

460 000 2010/2011

95 000 250 000

345 000 2011/2012

105 000 260 000

365 000 2012/2013

112 875 204 250

317 125

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Suggested Areas for Policy and Legislative Review

  The need to enhance the stability in local development and service delivery Enhance the independence and effectiveness of MDB 17

Enhancing the Stability of Municipalities

     Fixing the number of wards/councillors in line with the Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Asymmetrical ward and proportional representative councillors to ensure optimal balance between democracy and development Review the criteria for ward delimitation to make it more “developmental” Synchronisation of Ward and Municipal boundary changes Reconsider the Voting district as the

only

building blocks wards 18

Enhance the independence and effectiveness of MDB

    Amend the Constitution to specifically list the MDB as a constitutional institution to be consistent with PFMA to enhance its independence.

Consolidate all functions of MDB under one Act to minimise conflict and inconsistency. Currently MDB functions and mandate is found in Municipal Demarcation Act, and Municipal Structures Act.

Structure and where necessary legislate for consultation and public participation Specify roles and function of full time MDB members 19