
=====================================================================
Inauguration of Butterworths TLC Mayor
=====================================================================

Speeches and Media Releases
 Housing and Local Government

[         w

EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

SPEECH BY MR G NKWINTI, MEC FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING

AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE BUTTERWORTH TLC MAYOR

OCTOBER 13, 1999

BUTTERWORTH TOWN HALL

INTRODUCTION

It gives me great pleasure to be invited to this historic inauguration of a mayor; historic in that this is the first woman to be at the 
helm of this municipality. I therefore congratulate the council and the community of Butterworth for reflecting maturity and emancipation 
from old dogmatic beliefs that only men are capable, especially amongst the Black led communities, to assume leadership positions.

It is today a norm in our country that, with empowerment, women, who have for ages been seen as participating in a passive manner will now 
be given opportunities to positively impact in the development of our communities.

It is for the above reasons that I congratulate your Mayor Mrs. Ndindwa, in taking up the ernomous challenge and opportunity to prove to 
everybody that women are capable and ready to rise to levels previously denied them.

Main Frame of the Speech.

Reverting to challenges faced by your council, it is important to develop a political team, which would be supported by a technical team of 
your officials.

The two teams should be embedded on a firm base of all stakeholders in this town. The latter will ensure meaningful people participation as 
against people involvement. Participation implies a genuine and active process in development. It also implies " sharing in " while 
involvement implies a feeling of belonging among the population and that the people become involved in government programmes and projects 
on the basis of this feeling, which is passive in reality.

Geographically, Butterworth is strategically situated along the main route N2. Therefore, your town is at the eye of a tourist. It is 
linked to the unspoiled coastline by a tarred road. This geographical positioning lays a great challenge to this council and the 
stakeholders in promoting local economic development as a priority of your council. Butterworth was once a flourishing industrial area, 
which needed to be developed to its full potential. The unlocking and releasing of this potential is very critical for this town by, 
amongst others, interacting with the Departments of Trade and Industry, Economic Affairs and Tourism Board.

The main challenge facing this community is the rebuilding of Butterworth. The reconstruction project cannot be undertaken without 
embarking on teamwork. Rebuilding is not something new, it started during the times of Nehemiah when the walls of the city of Jerusalem 
were destroyed. Comrade Mayor, it is imperative for me as a form of advice to state that you can expect as this collective that when you 
extend an invitation to all to come and rebuild, the enemy will also begin to mobilize forces against the noble call for purposes of 
destruction. The latter perverse clarion call should be given the contempt it deserves, since the stakeholders of Butterworth know exactly 
what they need to do. To this regard, the use of the Butterworth Economic Development Forum, as an umbrella for integrated development 
within the TLC, becomes more vital. These are in line with Reconstruction Development Programme principles i.e. people driven and people 
centred in tandem with Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.

Comrade Mayor, may I hasten to remind you of the objectives of local government in terms of Section 152 (1) & (2) of the constitution of 
1996 (Act 108 of 1996)

Objectives of local government

1. The objectives of local government are:
* to provide democratic and accountable government for local communities.
* to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner
* to promote social and economic development
* to promote a safe and healthy environment and
* to encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government.



2.  A municipality must strive, within its financial and administrative capacity, to achieve the objects set out in subsection (1).

Over and above these objectives, the council should keep itself abreast with new pieces of legislation, which affect their communities e.g.

* Municipal Demarcation Act of 1998
* Municipal Structures Act of 1998
* Municipal Systems Bill which regulates the day to day running of the municipality.
* Municipal Finance Management Bill
* Property Tax Bill

I will only touch on the Municipal Demarcation Act, which seeks to restructure the boundaries of District Councils (Category C), and 
Municipalities (Category B). The restructuring process could impact on the present boundaries where TLC plus TLC could combine, or TLC and 
TRC, to form one Municipality. Butterworth is still falling under Amatola District Council in terms of the new proposal.

May I advise you Comrade Mayor in your leadership role that:

Leadership is the ability to lead others by influence. If this principle holds true, then we have all exercised some degree of leadership 
in our lives. Maybe the experience was not running a company or governing a council, but may have been the influence of one friend on 
another, or as a parent on a child or a politician on his / her constituents.

The strategic shift in governance within the Municipality is as follows:

The reason why elected leaders fail to make an impact in influencing their constituencies is that they fail to realise there are leaders 
within the communities who, while not holding any official position, have influences so powerful as to stagnate or facilitate any given 
programme.

It is important, therefore, for elected leaders to ensure participation of ward leadership in their development programmes. This goes for 
community mobilization in the payment for services rendered by the municipality.

Therefore, leadership can also be seen simply as responding to responsibility.

It is essential to promote collective workmanship and comradeship. A skillful leader puts every person in the place where she/he belongs. 
The following principles of leadership should be noted:

* co-ordination of tasks
* co-operation amongst politicians, administrative staff and stakeholders
* commendation-readiness to note and praise honest efforts and take personal interest in those for whom one is responsible.
* communication -ensures that everyone is empowered with day to day information flows and enjoy a sense of belonging to an institution one 
is prepared to defend at all times.

The above have the effect of the type of leader who knows the demands of public accountability, which in turn enables him / her easy 
contact with the constituency for report back purposes. By so doing the " buy-in " effect will come to fruition.

Madam Mayor, you may find it necessary to review your municipality's strategic plan, from which your council may emerge with a business 
plan and vision. Our government has a new political mandate as from 2 June 1999 based on accelerating service delivery. We are required to 
consult the ANC Manifesto and the state of the nation Speech of our President for strategic priorities e.g. job creation, skills 
development and rural development.

On the financial management front, finances for the town as in many others, are not so rosy. My department's strategic shift is in terms of 
emphasizing Section 154 (i) in the spirit and letter of co-operative governance, by availing resources through the Management Support 
Programme, which focuses on:

* Local Government Administration
* Human Resource Development and Training
* Finance and Information Technology
* Revenue Management and
* Technical Services.

This town has the potential of sustainability through its revenue base. Comrade Mayor, your council must ensure that Credit Control and 
Indigence Policies are in place in order to achieve financial sustainability.

This poses a challenge to the potential and commitment of your human resources to be dedicated in rendering services to the people of 
Butterworth. They need to adhere to Batho Pele principles that require services to be accessible timeously and to be more responsive to the 
people needs.

Hotline communication between your Municipality and our Department is vital. The Inter Governmental Forum and the proposed Municipal-MEC 
(Munmec) are good examples of information sharing.

My Department has approved Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure Programmes as follows:

* Bulk Water Supply at Mission Community = R2.3m
* Bulk Water Supply at Siyanda = R2.3m
* Replacement of Cast Iron sever main hole = R277000

Other CMIP projects are awaiting business plans from the council.

Besides CMIP Projects, millions of rands have been allocated by the Department to your municipality during the past financial years but I 
shall only refer to 1997/98 financial year as follows:

Intergovernmental Grants 1997/98         = R1 721 936m
Creditors 1997/98        = R4 961 264m
Financial Aid 1997/98    = R5 361 264m
Payment to Councillors 1997/98   = R 59 290.00
Payment to Administrator 1997/98        = R 190 964.00
Total    = R12 295 718 excluding CMIP and Housing Funds.

CONCLUSION

It is important that the municipality took note of the fact that interventions in terms of monetary allocations by my department cannot 
continue forever; that the community, Community Based Organizations and the municipality have to accept that the payment of rates and 
services rendered have moral, financial as well as serious legal implications. I wish to remind the people of Butterworth that social and 
political instability drive away investments, thus, denying the community a platform to kick off development. Without development, there 
can be no base for social delivery.

Let me once more congratulate the community of Butterworth and their political leaders for having had the courage of electing this new 
leadership. This council is faced with challenges ahead, which should be tackled by a committed team. I am confident that with the 
necessary support from all of us, especially the staff of your TLC and the community of Butterworth as a whole, you and your fellow 
councillors will be able to live up to the challenges mentioned in my address.

I thank you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Home | About the Eastern Cape | Economy
 Structures | International Relations | Documents
 Premier's Office | Speeches & Media Releases
 Top of Page

---------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Eastern Cape

Premier's Office

Structures

Documents

Speeches & Media Releases

International Relations

Economy




