Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan says local government needs to go “back to basics” in order to improve on the delivery of services to citizens.

Gordhan said this will top the agenda when government convenes a summit on local government on Thursday. President Jacob Zuma will lead the Presidential Local Government Summit at the Gallagher Estate Conference Centre in Midrand, with addressing service delivery challenges being the envisaged outcome.

“I conducted a rapid assessment of the state of local government. The assessment covered political stability, governance, service delivery, financial management, institutional management and community satisfaction,” said Gordhan.

“In response, the Department of Cooperative Governance initiated a process of setting benchmarks for municipalities to perform their basic responsibilities, every day, without fail,” he said.

“This led to the development of the ‘Back to Basics’ Strategy. This approach is about responding vigorously to immediate needs, understanding and responding to structural challenges, building resilient local government institutions and collectively shaping intergovernmental planning and delivery.”

Minister Gordhan said the new strategy was in line with President Zuma’s vision that local government must be in the forefront of improving people’s lives and creating conditions for inclusive economic growth and job creation.

“Back to Basics will ensure that in every municipality, traffic lights work, potholes are filled, water is delivered, refuse is collected, electricity is supplied, and refuse and waste management takes place,” he said.

 

—   SAnews.gov.za