Salga Limpopo’s assembly opens on high note

The two day South African Local Government Association (Salga) Limpopo’s Provincial Members Assembly took off on a surprising note at Thohoyandou on Tuesday when Thembi Nkadimeng, the then Provincial Chairperson of the association, announced that she was being replaced by Florence Radzilani, Executive Mayor of Vhembe District Municipality with immediate effect.
Nkadimeng, however, remains as one of the Deputy Chairpersons of the national structure of Salga.
The three Deputy Chairpersons are Pule Shai, Mayor of Ba-Phalaborwa, John Mpe, Capricorn District Executive Mayor and Morris Mateboge, Waterberg District Executive Mayor.
The event brought together executive mayors, mayors, speakers, chief whips, municipal managers and chief financial officers of all the municipalities in the province under the theme ‘Inspiring Service Delivery Through Innovation’.
The aim of the assembly was to provide a platform for Salga to address key policy and legislative impediments, including the processes necessary for it to achieve its mandate of representing, supporting and advocating for its members.
It further intended exploring new and innovative ways to empower, resource and capacitate municipalities to live up to the ideals of good governance, financial sustainability and universal access to good quality services.
Limpopo Premier, Stan Mathabatha, MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Jerry Ndou and Provincial Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Nkaro Mateta were scheduled to address delegates later during the event.
Delegates joined three break away sessions during which three goals were interrogated.
The goals were ‘Sustainable, inclusive economic growth and spatial transformation’, ‘Good governance and resilient municipal institutions’ and ‘Financial sustainability of local government and fiscal equity’.
>> See next week’s edition of this publication for an extensive report on the event as well as the outcomes of deliberations.

Story & photo: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com