December 20, 2006
By Michael Tsingo
THE Gauteng Provincial Government is set to devolve some of its powers and functions to capable municipalities.
This follows recommendations of a high-powered technical team, chaired by the MEC for local government, Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu, for municipalities to work more closely to advance the concept of Gauteng as a global city region.
This means that a proposal made in 2005 that the province take over the ambulance services would no longer be enforced, leaving the City's Emergency Management Services to continue providing the service to Johannesburg residents. "For the betterment of the people, ambulances should be left with the emergency services," Mahlangu said.
Mahlangu said the thirteen priority functions that could be delegated to municipalities are: transport, housing, health services, ambulance services, welfare services, early childhood development, industrial promotion, trade, libraries, licensing, home affairs, museums and pollution.
Ambulance services in Johannesburg will continue to be managed by the City
Changes to municipal and provincial powers and functions are intended to reinforce regional service delivery, Mahlangu said. The review conducted by the provincial government found that consolidating development strategies and economic activities between provincial and local government would make the province a competitive economic hub, recognised globally.
"The report on powers and functions is the work of the political and technical teams and the document has been forwarded to all government departments, all fourteen municipalities in Gauteng, the Presidency and the Department of Provincial and Local Government. We will get their feedback on the report in due course," Mahlangu said.
Mahlangu added that her department would hold sectoral workshops in 2007 to determine the functions that should be ceded to municipalities, whether partially or fully, and which should remain with province.
The review focused on functions linked to economic development, provision of basic services, social development and reduction of vulnerability as some of the key aspects for reconsideration.
Economic development deals with issues of trade, industrial promotion, vehicle licensing and pollution. The co-ordination of economic development could be left as a provincial function for an even promotion of the province but Mahlangu stressed that "this should be done collectively" between the province and its municipalities.
The review left implementation of pollution reduction projects and campaigns to municipalities. However, reports and standards will be co-ordinated at provincial level.
Housing is a major challenge for municipalities and the province. The MEC cited Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane as metros in Gauteng that could deliver housing. Because of proven capacity, housing was left a responsibility of the local governments, with provincial co-ordination.
The MEC said that international examples had shown that most of the work here was done locally but the province must co-operate.
Libraries that are currently a provincial responsibility and manned by social workers are to be given permanently to municipalities.
Mahlangu urged collaboration between the provincial and local governments and promised that by the time her current term expired in 2009-2010, Gauteng municipalities would be better off. She admitted that funds and capacity building, especially for smaller municipalities, must follow these new functions.
Gauteng was working with organisations like the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the auditing group, Ernest and Young, to build capacity in accounting and auditing, respectively, at municipal level. She also said that lack of capacity was not restricted to local government, but was also a problem at provincial government level.
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