Mohokare remain committed to 5 National Key Performance

Local News/01 June 2023,15:34pm/ Mandla Nkosi

Mohokare Local Municipality Mayor Zingisa Mgawuli: image supplied

By Mandla Nkosi: Mohokare Local Municipality Mayor Zingisa Mgawuli said her municipality remained committed to the realization of the Five National Key Performance Areas of municipalities.

Mgawuli was speaking recently addressing residents during the IDP Budget.

“I want to inform you that the Five National Key Performance Areas of municipalities are:

Good Governance and Public Participation, Municipal Transformation and Organisational Development, Basic Infrastructure and Service Delivery, Local Economic Development and Municipal Financial Viability and Management.

We are going to embark on a number of measures to address the unemployment challenge by implementing Local Economic Development programs,” said the mayor.

She said that youth unemployment is a pressing challenge and it is therefore a matter of great urgency that they draw young people in for great numbers into productive economic activity.

“Young local people will be moved to the centre of our economic agenda, it is within this spirit/background that the municipality through the Office of the Mayor and LED unit to ensure the goal is realised.

Agriculture presents one of the greatest opportunities to significantly grow the local economy and job creation,” said Mgawuli.

She indicated that realising this dream, the DRDLR, has been allocated a site to establish a farmer’s support unit in Zastron.

“Tourism is another sector which provides our municipality with incredible opportunities.

Given the municipality’s financial challenges, the institution is unable to budget for tourism related projects but in one of its sittings council resolved to embark on a private-Public partnership to resuscitate and enhance the local tourism industry,” said Mgawuli.

She said the Local Economic Development (LED) unit has started a project of compiling a local tourism brochure which will showcase municipal tourism destinations.

“The brochure will be used as a marketing tool to sell Mohokare to the outside world.

Our support to the local SMME’s:

• Provide land to local SMMEs

• Lease of municipal buildings and coordinating funding from sector departments, private sector and donors.

• Encourage transition from informal to formal business.

Our course to job creation:

• Prioritize local suppliers when procuring for municipality

• Successfully engaged with contractors to subcontract 30% of the work to local contractors,” said Mgawuli.

 He emphasizes the IDP and Budget should be construed and applied; in previous financial years the bulk water project in terms of infrastructural development was implemented to address critical water problems in the area of Mohokare at large.

“The preparation of the IDP is a legislative requirement as entailed in terms of Section 25 of the Municipal Systems Act no.32 of 2000, the IDP is one of the key tools for Local Government to cope with its new developmental role.

We can’t forget Colleagues; the year 2021 which is the predecessor to the 2022 conceptualised an implementable winds of change in the political administrative level,” Mgawuli said.

She alluded that the biggest challenge was to ensure stability in the institution during this transition phase, also to guarantee that service delivery is not thwarted in any way possible.

“In an expression of commitment to public participation, service delivery and clean accountable government, the council had to exercise it by making public participation a common factor in the affairs of the municipality.

The general purpose of the IDP and Budget is to inform the Council about the needs and resolutions in areas of development,” said Mgawuli.

She said the monitoring tool which is the Mid-Year Performance of the municipality against the approved budget in compliance with MFMA.

“Stakeholders and the community of Mohokare at large, when we work together we can do so much more to improve the general financial health of the municipality, which will definitely result in a very productive service delivery orientated municipality.

On Wednesday the leadership collective of both the Free State Provincial Government and MLM opened the new clinic in Rouxville/Roleleathunya and the endeavour marked a real phenomenon of Inter-Governmental Relations,” Mgawuli said.

She said in accordance with the provisions of the laws that govern the affairs of the municipality they have embarked upon a process of consultation and indulging various stakeholders and communities, the purpose of such sessions was around introduction of the new Council, sharing of progressive ideas and mostly indulging on bettering the partnership between the communities and the municipality at all levels. Chapter 4 of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 makes community participation in the affairs, programmes and activities of the municipality a legal obligation.

“Therefore, it is paramount for the municipality to involve various stakeholders to understand the affairs of this nature; we anticipate without any doubts that the adoption of IDP and Budget is a true reflection of community participation.

The goal is a collective endeavour of building a better life for all our communities. Reflection of free basic services and encouraging deserving households to register for indigent care should be imperative in the development agenda of the municipality,” concluded Mgawuli.