The first phase of this initiative will start in Gauteng on 20 October. It is also in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) and the departments’ Back to Basics approach, which seeks to ensure that municipalities perform basic duties through performance benchmarks.
Minister of COGTA, Pravin Gordhan commended FNB’s contribution and said he hoped this would encourage other organisations in the private sector to emulate FNB. “This partnership, hopefully, will act as an embryonic one for others to build upon, so we can truly have a more effective public sector.”
CEO of Provincial and Local Government Business at FNB Public Sector Banking, Kgosi Ledimo said, “In our daily interaction with municipalities, we are able to identify some of the challenges they face and this programme is designed to address areas which need improvement such as procurement and management of finances or contracts.
The first phase will incorporate municipalities from Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, Free State, Northern Cape and Limpopo. The second phase will be held in the Eastern Cape and will also incorporate municipalities from Western Cape. The last phase will take place in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
FNB services over 50 percent of municipalities in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape.