Vision
A tourist
destination where excellence, good governance, sustainable growth and service
delivery prevails.
Mission
Metsweding
District Municipality is committed to mobilise and utilise resources in
partnership with its stakeholders for the realisation of its vision through:
Provision of capacity to local municipalities
Promotion of social and economic development
Creation of a safe and healthy environment
Encouragement of community participation
Consolidation and implementation of IDP’s
Adequate training and development of staff.
Values
Consultation: citizens should be consulted
about the level and quality of the public service they receive and, wherever
possible, be given a choice about the services that are offered.
Access: all citizens should have equal access
to the services to which they are entitled.
Courtesy: citizens should be treated with
courtesy and consideration.
Information: citizens should be given full,
accurate information about the public services they are entitled to receive.
Openness and transparency: citizens should be
told how national and provincial departments, as well as the municipalities are
run, how much they cost and who is in charge.
Redress: if the promised standard of service
is not delivered, citizens should be offered an apology, a full explanation and
a speedy and effective remedy; and when complaints are made, citizens should
receive a sympathetic, positive response.
Value for money: public services should be
provided economically and effectively in order to give citizens the best
possible value for money.
1.
Introduction
This
introduction will endeavour to provide an overview of the functioning of the
Office of the Speaker and the key programs to be undertaken during the 2005/06
financial year.
Prior to the
end of August 2005, the Office of the Speaker was incorporated in what used to
be called the Governance Department within the Office of the Executive
Mayor. The Office started operating as a
distinct unit immediately after the disbandment of the Governance Department,
under which the formers’ programs were undertaken.
|
Position
|
Date of
Engagement
|
|
Coordinator Speaker’s Office
|
05 Jan
2004
|
|
Secretary Speaker’s Office
|
06 April
2007
|
|
Driver to the Speaker
|
31 March
2007
|
|
Community Liaison Officer
|
01 July
2004
|
The contract
of the Councillor Aide (who was subsequently incorporated in the Speaker’s
Office, following the disbandment of the Governance Department) expired in
March 2006. The Community Liaison
Officer resigned in May 2006.
2.
Annual Report 2005/06
2.1
Public Participation in the District
2.1.1
Public Meetings
The purpose
of the workshop was to discuss and develop an integrated public participation
action plan, designed to inform the public participation program of the
District, which includes the two local municipalities.
2.1.2
Walkabouts
The Office
of the Speaker coordinated Walkabouts and Community Meetings in the Onverwaght
area.
The
activities were held in tandem, albeit at different times, one in the morning
after the Council meeting and the other in the afternoon.
2.1.3
Outreach Programs
The Office
of the Speaker also engaged in the Briefing on Voter Registration programmes in
collaboration with the Executive Mayor’s Office as outlined. The purpose of the
briefing was to educate the community on voter registration and encourage them
to participate in the registration process prior to the Local Government
Elections.
2.2
Training and Capacity Building of Councillors
As it is
incumbent upon the Speaker to ensure that Councillors are capacitated, the
Office, in partnership with SALGA Gauteng, conducted a week long Councillor
Induction Workshop for all Councillors in the District.
2.3
Other delegated functions
The Office of
the Speaker, in collaboration with the then Gauteng Youth Directorate, trained
100 of the communities’ youth on Rural Development and Entrepreneurship.
3.
Conclusion
It is
important to note that by this time, the Speaker’s Office was operating as a
Unit, reporting directly to the Municipal Manager and implementing its own
programs.
1.
General
Profile
1.1
Economic Activity and Potential
The Metsweding District Municipality (MDM) is
situated in the north-eastern corner of Gauteng and comprises a number of
natural, cultural and historic attractions.
The area is in close proximity to the economic areas of Johannesburg and
Tshwane, and easy access is provided via the N1 and N4 freeways.
Metsweding has always been seen as a rural
area with a significant, but somewhat underdeveloped agricultural base. However, the greatest strength in respect of
agriculture of this area relates to its central location and access to markets,
the east-west transport network and proximity to the urban centres within
Gauteng.
Metsweding is also an important centre for
diamond mining. Cullinan, for example,
developed because of the diamond mining activities, which produced the world’s
largest diamond and the world’s largest cut diamond. The mining history of this area has also
contributed to the tourism potential of the area.
The “new” economy in the region is
Tourism. Existing visitor attractions,
ranging from recreation-oriented activity at Roodeplaat Dam to mining and
heritage tours in Cullinan, also offer opportunities for further
development. The types of opportunities
are concentrated in adventure and eco-tourism, and cultural heritage
tourism, and include:
Visitor attractions (museums, natural areas,
conservation areas)
Visitor activities (eco-tours, conservation
activities, cultural events)
Recreation areas and activities (boating,
fishing, hiking, biking, etc)
Accommodations, food and beverage
Provincial Youth Dialogue
Conference and meeting facilities (avoid
over-supply)
Retail trade (especially at nodes)
Manufacturing and distribution in support of
tourist trade
Animal husbandry and agricultural supply in
support of game reserve
Through Blue IQ’s Dinokeng initiatives, a
significant commitment has been made to conservation and the development of an
eco-tourism industry in the region.
Dinokeng will focus on existing tourism activities in the area and will
also provide capacity to develop these activities in the area and the proposed
nodes for development within Dinokeng.
It is believed that through the ongoing
commitment from the stakeholders in the region, that the focus of the
manufacturing base can be changed, resulting in better growth and a larger
contribution to the region’s economy.
1.2
Spatial Structure and Land Use
The District is characterised by a mix of peri-urban land use (e.g.
low-density residential expansion from Tshwane on its western border),
agricultural activities, mining (mainly in the Cullinan area), and natural
areas with tourism potential (Dinokeng area in Nokeng LM). The region is in a
developing phase and the spatial structure is currently fairly disjointed, with
the two activity centres of Bronkhorstspruit / Ekandustria (in Kungwini) and
Cullinan (in Nokeng LM) and the N4 / ‘Maputo Corridor’ serving as the main
distinguishable elements.
New residential developments are occurring
around Roodeplaat and Bronkhorstspruit dams, as well as on the region’s western
boundary with Tshwane. These developments will have to be managed carefully to
ensure that the value that they create is in line with the DM’s vision and
priorities.
There are numerous tourism and recreation
facilities that, if managed well in terms of how they are developed, will form
an important structuring and place-making element in the district.
1.3
Poverty and Need
Creating sustainable communities who have
access to the aforementioned economic opportunities is an important strategy of
the MDM in order to address poverty (45%) and unemployment (19%) in the
district. The MDM is finalising a comprehensive economic strategy that will not
only target the 32% economically inactive part of its community for training,
but will also create the relevant economic activity that can act as an entry
point for relevant skilled and trained people. Higher economic growth will also
allow the MDM to address its service provision concerns.
The provision of services is a national
challenge and priority and the MDM is no different. With an average of 25% of
the population not having access to most of the basic services, the MDM’s focus, together
with the local municipalities, will be to address the service backlogs, Table
1.1, in line with the targets set by the national and provincial
governments.
Table 1.1:
Backlogs
Source: MIG
estimates presented at IDP Hearings in 2005
|
Service
|
Backlog %
|
|
Water
|
16%
|
|
Sanitation
|
31%
|
|
Electricity
|
30%
|
The intention is, however, to ensure that
basic service delivery is addressed within a sustainable infrastructure
investment framework that includes the maintenance of current infrastructure
investments and the development of new infrastructure for growth.
1.4
Financial Challenges
Like so many growing and developing regions,
the MDM is at a sensitive point in its growth path. On the one hand, it has to
address current needs whilst on the other, it has to, at the same time, nurture
the potential of the region despite limited financial capacity. The challenge
is to address current backlogs and, simultaneously, invest in growth that will,
in future, ensure that more funding is available to address basic needs.
The intention of the MDM is to achieve the
delivery and growth strategy through the creation of partnerships with role
players, public and private, well-planned investment strategies and a clear
measuring and monitoring process.
1.5
Institutional Capacity
The MDM was newly established at the time of
the demarcation process in 2000. With no base from which to work, the focus
during the first two years was on devoting the majority of its financial and
institutional resources towards establishing the administration and dealing
with committed projects inherited from the former Eastern Gauteng Services
Council. Institutional issues such as staff recruitment and retention, a
comprehensive performance management system and ensuring relevant planning
capacity in general will have to be addressed on a continuous basis.
The focus of the next stage is to consolidate
its role as a facilitator and coordinator of development and growth for the
region in terms of its legal mandate.
1.6
Strategy
Against the backdrop of current reality and
challenges, as well as the potential in the region, the MDM developed a
strategic framework that addresses the basic building blocks for the
development of the region and one that will permit the region to take up its
role as a tourism destination and future growth area for the province.
The MDM strategy development process was
transformed from an organisational strategic planning process to an integrated
and measurable management strategy that does not only focus on the MDM as an
institution, but combines the institutional capacity with the impact area and
physical development of the region.
2.
Social profile
The
following Table provides an indication of the composition of the population.
Table
2.1.1 – Composition of the population of South Africa, Gauteng and Metsweding,
2004
|
Indicator
|
South Africa
|
Gauteng
|
Metsweding
|
Nokeng Tsa Taemane
|
Kungwini
|
|
Total
Population
|
45
857 655
|
8
927 378
|
176
315
|
52
314
|
124
001
|
|
Population
Growth p.a.
|
1.0%
|
0.7%
|
2.9%
|
0.7%
|
4.5%
|
|
HIV&AIDS
+
|
10.9%
|
12.1%
|
11.9%
|
12.4%
|
11.5%
|
|
Population
Groups
|
|
|
African
Asian
Coloured
White
|
36
390 157
1
120 407
4
099 960
4
247 131
|
6
637 555
222
215
338
392
1
729 216
|
137
878
353
2
116
35
968
|
38
194
54
1
248
14
757
|
101
681
248
868
21
204
|
|
Gender
Percentage
Male
Female
|
48.0%
52.0%
|
49.2%
50.8%
|
52.5%
47.5%
|
56.8%
43.2%
|
50.3%
49.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source:
Quantec Research as in Metsweding LED, 2005
The population of Metsweding is estimated at (176 000 in 2004) and
it grew by 2.9% on average per annum between 2001 and 2004 while the provincial
growth rate was recorded at 0.7%. The majority of the local population is
resident in Kungwini LM (approximately 70%). According to the Metsweding SDF
(2006), closer examination of the distribution of people in the district
indicates that larger numbers of the people are concentrated in Refilwe,
Cullinan, Rayton, Zithobeni, Ekangala, and Bronkhorstspruit area.
It is also relevant to note that Provincial net in-migration for
Gauteng was 1 186 335 people (2001 to 2004). Gauteng provincial migration
accounts for 35% of the national total (Draft Gauteng Spatial Development
Perspective, as in DIB, 2005, Net Population Gains and Losses for the period
2001-2004.). A challenge that confronts Metsweding is a lack of information
relating to in and out migration.
The following Diagram provides an indication of the HIV and AIDS
prevalence.
The HIV and AIDS prevalence rate of Metsweding was estimated at
11.9% during 2004 compared to 12.1% for Gauteng as a whole. A higher HIV and
AIDS prevalence rate was estimated in Nokeng Tsa Taemane LM (12.4%) than in
Kungwini LM (11.5%).
Diagram
2.1.2 HIV & AIDS prevalence in GP, Metsweding, Kungwini and Nokeng Tsa
Taemane
The
following Table provides a summary of the education profile.
Table 2.1.3
Education Profile of Gauteng and Metsweding, 2001
|
Level
of Education
|
%
of Metsweding
|
%
of Nokeng Tsa Taemane
|
%
of Kungwini
|
%
of Gauteng
|
|
None
|
17.01%
|
12.49%
|
20.42%
|
8.4%
|
|
Some
Primary
|
15.15%
|
14.56%
|
15.60%
|
11.2%
|
|
Completed
Primary
|
6.15%
|
6.49%
|
5.88%
|
5.5%
|
|
Some
Secondary
|
29.36%
|
33.23%
|
26.44%
|
34.3%
|
|
Grade
12/ Std 10
|
21.64%
|
23.49%
|
20.24%
|
28.0%
|
|
Higher
|
10.69%
|
9.73%
|
11.42%
|
12.6%
|
|
Total
|
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
Source:
Quantec Research as in Metsweding LED, 2006
Less than 33% of the Metsweding population has a Grade 12 or
higher education qualification while 17% have no schooling at all. Kungwini has
the largest concentration of adults (18.4%) who did not have any form of formal
education while only 32.0% had at least a Grade 12 qualification. Nokeng Tsa
Taemane (87.5%) had a higher adult literacy rate than Kungwini (81.6%).
The Metsweding SDF (2006) reveals that following status quo with
regards to Health and social infrastructure:
Emergency services: The Metsweding District Municipality is fully
responsible for the provision of emergency services. Fire and Rescue activities
are carried out by Nokeng Tsa Taemane and Kungwini municipalities. Fire and
rescue activities are carried out from Kungwini and Nokeng Tsa Taemane
Municipalities and so are the emergency services of the district. The district
has 2 primary response vehicles, one rescue vehicle, ten ambulances and 1
utility vehicle to service the rest of its jurisdictional area and immediate
areas in a case of an emergency.
Medical services: The District only has one major private hospital,
the Bronkhorstspruit Hospital. There are only 20 beds for public patients,
which is not sufficient for the number of people in Metsweding.
Educational facilities: The provision of crèches, primary and
secondary schools is very limited in both the local municipalities. Although
the provision of primary and secondary education is critical, most needed are
tertiary and adult education facilities in the district.
Community centres: Within the different areas of the District
there exists at least one community centre in each community. The centres
appear to be used by the community for local functions. There is however a
management and a resource issue related to these facilities.
Social infrastructure: In terms of community centres and health
services, the district is fairly well serviced. The only concern relates to the
standard of these services and the staff required for the servicing of the
patients.