MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Mpumalanga, MEC Busi Shiba urges communities to participate in the consultation processes of Municipal budgets and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). This after the Municipalities in Mpumalanga tabled their 2021/22 financial year draft budgets and draft IDPs in the Municipal Councils at the end of March 2021.
Municipal budgets and IDPs are vital for planning and for service delivery. Legislatively, Municipalities are regulated to consult with local communities once the drafts have been tabled in Municipal Councils, after a period of fourteen (14) days.
MEC Shiba says communities are a vital cog for the approval of Municipal budgets and IDPs and urges them to play their part. “The consultations are a first step of planning for Municipalities and a platform for you as communities to express your service delivery aspirations before the budgets and IDPs are adopted for implementation. Your inputs are crucial to guide Municipal Councils to align the resources with service delivery imperatives,” says MEC Shiba.
She urges Municipalities to put mechanisms in place to ensure that the consultation processes comply with COVID19 regulations to prevent the spread of the pandemic. “Budgets and IDP consultations are part of public consultations. Under normal circumstances Municipalities arrange suitable venues for communities to attend and make verbal submissions. However a similar approach is now dangerous for the spread of the pandemic. Therefore Municipalities must put mechanisms in place, as contemplated in Sections 16 and 17 of the Local Government Municipal Systems’ Act for community participation, that will prevent the spread of the pandemic, such as emails, websites, drop boxes and social media platforms such as Facebook and Whats App to comply with the COVID19 regulations,” she said.
Consultations are expected to commence from 1 to 30 April 2021 once notices for community participation are issued. MEC Shiba further urged community structures to mobilize their members to participate in the consultations for the effectiveness of Local Government.
ENDS
Issued by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Contact Person: Mr George Mthethwa
Contact Numbers: 013 766 6572/ 083 302 2774
E-mail: gpmthethwa@mpg.gov.za
Twitter: @cogtamp
Facebook: @mpucogta