North West CoGTA & HS Budget Speech

Residents across the municipalities of the province are hungry for effective delivery of services, free from acts of corruption and maladministration.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

will be Priority in the North West!

Premier of the North West, Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro, appointed Mmoloki Saviour Cwaile as the new MEC of NW CoGHSTA on Saturday 21 November 2020, four months after the passing of former MEC, Gordon Kegakilwe, who succumbed to COVID-19 related illness.

Before his appointment, MEC Cwaile was the Chair of Chairs in the North West Provincial Legislature and Chair of the Standing Committee For Legislative Review and Implementations of House Resolutions. Honourable MEC Cwaile delivered his inaugural budget speech on Wednesday 2 June 2021, committing the Department’s R674 228 000 budget to key projects that will provide services to the people of the North West Province in line with the Province’s Annual Performance Plan.

Residents across the municipalities of the province are hungry for effective delivery of services, free from acts of corruption and maladministration.

SOME OF THE 2021/2022 BUDGET SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS: The following municipalities have been placed under Section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution:

Ramotshere Moiloa, Ratlou, Madibeng, JB Marks, Ditsobotla local municipalities and Dr Ruth Segmotsi Mompati District Municipality, respectively. Through the intervention Madibeng has saved R9 million per month previously spent on water tankering. Through a series of engagements with the Brits Industrialist, the industrialist have paid R92 million that was owed to the municipality.

Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Investigations

The Municipal Managers and Chief Financial Officers of JB Marks and Ratlou local municipalities were put on suspension following recommendations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

Support to Municipalities

The Department developed five (5) Key Result Areas in line with legislative requirements namely:

(1) Improved financial sustainability

(2) Improved audit outcomes

(3) Compliance with legislative prescripts

(4) Increased administrative stability

(5) Improved project planning and implementation.

MEC Mmoloki Cwaile (far right) and Premier Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro (fourth from left) with Members of the Executive Committee of the North West House of Traditional Leaders during the official opening of the House.

Local Government Elections

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre will work with disaster management teams, law enforcement agencies and other relevant stakeholders to mobilise resources to respond to any incidents on the day of the elections.

Municipalities have been directed to conclude their business with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), including the appointment of the Municipal Electoral Officers(MEO’s). The Department will work with the South African Local Government Association(SALGA) to induct new councillors and ward committees after the local government elections.

Community Development Workers

293 Community Development Workers(CDWs) have been transferred back to the Department from the Office of the Premier. Their work is to facilitate community development and forge relations with various government entities.

Community Works Programme

20 900 Community Works Programme participants have been deployed in all municipalities. They have registered impact in various wards in projects, such as providing support in school feeding schemes, Early Childhood Centres and community gardens. CoGTA(national) will train them in areas such as agriculture, the paving of roads, the fixing of potholes and Early Childhood and Development Centres to create exit opportunities from the programme.

Expanded Works Programme

This financial year, 118 young people to be appointed as ‘Youth in Waste’, through the Expanded Public Works Programme(EPWP). The programme is intended to address illegal dumping and educate communities on creating a clean environment.

Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

The Department has enlisted the services of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant Agency(MISA) to work with municipalities to fast track some of the infrastructure projects, create regulatory policy faculty and enable ease of infrastructure planning and implementation.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa(DBSA) will establish a Project Management Unit(PMU) in the Department to assist municipalities with project and project execution to better manage infrastructure and asset management.

Spatial Planning

The North West Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Bill to be gazetted and be subjected to public participation.

MEC Cwaile (right) with the Mayor of Kgetlengrivier (left) during a meeting to resolve on provision of water and sanitation

Health District

The district municipalities shall move at speed to implement district health services as devolved from this Health Department to district municipalities.

Intervention on Water and Sanitation

Departments’ of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Water and Sanitation developed a “5-year water and sanitation reliability plan” for all districts. The plan will identify key deliverables in the water sector and identify roles and responsibilities of all role-players in the sector. All districts have established work streams on water and sanitation for overall compilation, adoption, management and implementation of the plan.

Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC)

R262.52 million was requested by affected municipalities, i.e. Kgetlengrivier, Kagisano-Molopo, Lekwa-Teemane, Greater Taung, Mahikeng and Naledi local municipalities to repair damaged infrastructure.

Municipalities were advised to prioritise their Municipal Infrastructure Grant(MIG) allocation to repair and re-work the infrastructure damaged as a result of the floods.

The PDMC will continue to support departments to develop and implement their disaster management plans.

MEC Cwaile (left) during a site visit to the Brits Water Treatment Plant

Traditional Affairs

The Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act, 3 of 2019 commenced on 01 April 2021 as determined by the President under Proclamation No. 38, published in Government Gazette No. 43981 of 11 December 2020. All provincial legislation will be aligned to the TLKA.

The Act has amended the Section 81 of Municipal Systems Act to allow for more meaningful participation of traditional and Khoisan leaders in the affairs of the municipalities.

Composition of new traditional councils to be done before end of this financial year.

2021/22 BUDGET SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS

• The department has set aside R320 million for the upgrade of informal settlements.

• Since it was appointed, the North West Rental Housing Tribunal has received 220 cases and thus far, it has resolved 93 cases.

• In building relationships, the department has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South African Women in Construction.

• The department has committed 40% of its Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) budget for procurement aimed at women owned or women partner companies, companies owned or run by people living with disabilities, as well as youth owned companies.

• An agency of the department, (North West Housing Corporation) is working on registering the first Public Private Partnerships in the province with an effort to develop mixed developments and smart cities in Mahikeng, Madibeng Lanseria, Potchefstroom, Rustenburg, Marikana and Mogwase.

• The housing corporation will continue to intensify the implementation of the Title Deeds Restoration Program. Thus far, 5068 title deeds transferred to home owners, 2179 post 1994 title deeds transferred to owners, 61 houses built for military veterans.

• The housing corporation will resuscitate a 30-unit rental housing project located in Mahikeng (Unit 14). This rental accommodation is aimed at civil servants who need accommodation.

• Two thousand and forty houses have been constructed around mining towns, 3038 rural housing units constructed (excluding mining towns and veterans) and 86 FLISP subsidies disbursed.

• In the current financial year, the department will service 6007 sites, purchase land and finalize township establishments, for which R358 million has been budgeted.

• The department will prioritize the elderly, women with dependants as well as people living with disabilities in provision of housing.

• To achieve faster and better results to cover more of our citizens than if we were walking the route alone, we require “a holding of hands” with the private sector, as building houses for our people is not only government’s obligation.

• We call on the private sector to come on board and ensure that they also show acts of selflessness just like our great leaders, Tata Nelson Mandela and Mama Charlotte Maxeke for the development of our people and our communities.

• The department is modelling it’s planning along the District Development Model which aligns the work of the three spheres of government.

• The department will continue to work together with local municipalities, sector departments, stakeholders and role players to ensure we provide holistic housing programmes for our people.

SUSTAINABLE Human Settlements and Improved Quality of Household Life Number of title deeds transferred to new home owners Number of pre 1994 title deeds transferred to home owners Number of post 1994 title deeds transferred to home owners Number of post 2014 title deeds transferred to home owners Number of serviced sites delivered through a range of programmes in the housing code Number of military veterans houses constructed Number of houses constructed around mining towns Number of rural housing units constructed (excluding mining towns and veterans) Number of FLISP subsidies disbursed 5068 2179 2128 2640 6007 61 2040 3038