Author: cogta_adm

A renewed commitment towards the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence was the clarion call made by KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka during the World Aids Day commemorations which were hosted at the Jolivet Community Hall in the uBuhlebezwe municipality under the Harry Gwala District.

The commemorations were attended by Harry Gwala District Mayor Cllr Zamo Nxumalo, uBuhlebezwe Mayor Cllr EB Ngubo and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Mayor Cllr Sindi Msomi.

Nomfundo, Ndlovu, an activist, called for hightened awareness amongst communities regarding the dangers that continue to be posed by the virus. “Each one of us has to take responsibility and ensure that we know our status and that once we know it, we take all the necessary measures so that we prevent the virus from spreading within our communities,” said Ndlovu.

In his address to the community, Hlomuka thanked health workers in the district for their hard work which saw the region achieve the 90-90-90 UNAIDS targets adopted by the country 2014. The targets are aimed at ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The targets state that 90% of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) must know their status; 90% of those must be on ART; and of those on ART, 90% must be virally suppressed. “Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, these gains have suffered a serious setback,” said Hlomuka.

During the candle lighting ceremony, Mayor Nxumalo urged residents of the district who are undergoing treatment to be diligent and not default on their treatment because they could risk a relapse. “As a way of remembering those who have passed away as a result of this virus, let us all commit to being diligent in the fight against the spread of this virus,” said Nxumalo.

The host mayor, Cllr Ngubo of the uBuhlebezwe municipality, hailed the ceremony as an important reminder about the importance of fighting against the spread of the virus.

Community members that attended Gugu Tenza  (31) and Hloniphile  Mjwaha (30) from Mhlabashane in Highflats, said they appreciated getting educated about HIV/AIDS in this event.

Joint statement by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Harry Gwala District Municipality

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The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka has congratulated the newly elected office bearers which include Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Speakers and Exco members in the province’s local and district municipalities.

MEC Hlomuka has called upon the office bearers to work together to ensure that the province’s municipalities continue to deliver services to communities.

MEC Hlomuka has pleaded for sanity to prevail in the management of the transition where there has been a change in the office-bearers.

“We urge all councils to adhere to all labour laws when dealing with staffing matters. Staff members should not be treated unfairly based on perceived political affiliations due to them having worked with the previous administration” said Hlomuka.

The election of office bearers and the swearing-in of the newly elected councillors across the province has been a largely peaceful exercise. All the province’s 43 local municipalities and one metro have convened their first sitting successfully. The province’s 10 Districts have until the 8th of December to convene their first sitting where they will elect office-bearers.

According to MEC Hlomuka, the department will roll out specialised training programmes that will assist the office bearers in their new responsibilities.

MEC Hlomuka will visit all Districts where he will have engagements with all office bearers at both the local and district level on what is expected of them in their new roles and on the types of support that will be made available.

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A formal and far-reaching Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).  An official ceremony marking this milestone was held at the University’s Pietermaritzburg Campus on 30 November. 

One of the key objectives for Cogta is the formulation of strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors with the purpose of creating job opportunities, stimulating economic growth, improving evidence-based service delivery, skills transfer, knowledge sharing and capacity development within local government.

As part of partnership engagements, a technical partner – namely UKZN – was identified, that could significantly benefit both the department and the university. The objective of this agreement is to establish a relationship between the department and the UKZN in order to:

– Coordinate activities that will enable dual benefit in information sharing and expertise;

– Monitor and evaluate the process of conducting research and generating knowledge;

– Optimise capacity building and improve efficacy in knowledge management and delivery of training;

– Reach an amicable and mutual achievement of the common goal of information generation and management;

– Agree on and stipulate areas within which information sharing, research and evaluation will be undertaken and improved in the future; and

– Define the context and systems through which information will be shared and research results will be circulated.

The overarching aim of the MOU is to improve the services that Cogta delivers to its client – local government – by conducting research, determining best practices and ensuring collaboration on key issues affecting local government.

The duration of the Agreement is for three years, starting from 1 August 2021 until 31 March 2024. It provides the umbrella under which both parties will share information, and contribute to and provide research and policy expertise on key areas, such as climate change resilience; sustainable natural resource use, including ecotourism; food security, water security, and the water-energy-food-nexus;  land access, rights, reform, and redistribution; water access, rights, reform, and redistribution; localisation of Sustainable Development Goals; support of spatial planning processes; vulnerability assessments, especially drought; disaster early warning systems; evaluation; local governance; and any other areas of mutual interest.

The MOU also allows the UKZN to improve the learning experience of UKZN staff and students through opportunities to work on real-world projects; and opportunities to share expertise, enhance learning opportunities, and assist students to prepare for the transition from university to the work environment.

Furthermore the MOU creates a platform for both parties to learn from each other and build capacity by sharing processes and methods; collaborating on publications and conferences; undertaking research and pursuing further studies; and upskilling department staff through skills transfer.

The Agreement was signed by Funi Makhanya who is the Deputy Director General for Local Government within Cogta and Professor Albert Modi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science on behalf of the UKZN.

Professor Rob Slotow, UKZN Pro-Vice Chancellor for the African Cities of the Future Research Flagship, is the UKZN lead on the relationship. He emphasised: ‘The UKZN strategic plan 2017-2022 calls for improved impact of the work of the university on broader society. In order to achieve this, close partnership with government is required, which provides avenues for aligning our teaching and learning, and capacity of our graduates to align more closely with the practical needs of society. Importantly, MOUs such as this allow for the co-development, implementation and mainstreaming of results of research jointly with government. UKZN’s strong academic credentials can, thus, be deployed into key areas of need in South Africa, identified at the local government level, and be quickly translated into practical solutions to improve the wellbeing of our people.’

Makhanya believes that the signing of the MOU marks a turning point in the departments efforts to support the Local Economic Development mandate of municipalities. “Through this partnership, we are sharpening our ability to provide specialised support to our municipalities through improved capacity which will assist to find practical solutions in the quest to grow the economy of our municipalities” said Makhanya.

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KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka today convened a special district cluster imbizo, in Ladysmith where amakhosi and izinduna from across the districts of Amajuba, uThukela and uMzinyathi engaged with the department on some of the challenges that are facing the institution of traditional leadership at present.

Several amakhosi and izinduna voiced their concerns about the slow pace of arrests following the murders of amakhosi and izinduna in the province in the recent past. In response to these concerns, the South African Police Service indicated that the police are now beginning to make tangible progress in some of the cases concerning the murders of amakhosi and izinduna.

“As the police, we have been able to make arrests in the two instances that happened within the districts of uThukela and uMzinyathi. The breakthroughs we have had are a result of the partnership with our communities. It is therefore important that the communities continue to come forward with information that will assist in apprehending the perpetrators,” said Brigadier Buthelezi from the uMzinyathi SAPS.

In his address to the imbizo, Chairperson of the KZN Provincial House of Traditional Leaders Inkosi Chiliza expressed his concern about the accusations and counter-accusations by those who want to sow divisions within the institution of traditional leadership. “It is important that, as leaders within the institution of traditional leadership, we work together in addressing some of the challenges that are faced by the institution,” said Inkosi Chiliza.

In his address, MEC Hlomuka emphasised the important role played by the community in protecting amakhosi and ensuring that any suspicious activities are reported to law enforcement agencies. Hlomuka believes that this proactive approach will ensure that the already stretched police resources will be able to be used more efficiently in dealing with the safety concerns of amakhosi and izinduna.

MEC Hlomuka has also vowed that the department will continue to roll out izimbizo to the various districts in a cluster format to ensure that all inputs are gotten from amakhosi and izinduna.

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The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs notes the changes of dates that were initially set for convening of the first council sittings in the province’s municipalities.  However, the Department would like to emphasize that at this point there are no delays as the legislated 14 day period has not lapsed.

 
The 2021 local government elections were unique in that in a number of municipalities none of the political parties was able to secure an outright majority of votes. This has resulted in 18 of the municipalities in the Province being “hung”.  An unintended consequence of this is a need for engagements and agreements between different political parties.  This is a clear indication of the level to which democracy is maturing in our country.

 
The department believes that it is critical for these processes to be given space so that when the inaugural meetings do happen, consensus can be reached promptly. This will then allow the councils to get on with the important task at hand, that of delivering services to our communities. None of the municipalities has given an indication that they will not meet the 14-day deadline and therefore there is no reason to panic at this stage.

 
The department has further called upon municipalities to ensure that they convene their first sittings within the stipulated 14 days which ends on 23 November. Once the local municipalities have convened the District Municipalities will have until the 8th of December to convene.  

 
The department further urges communities to be patient during this time of transition, while the department continues to provide the necessary support to the Municipal Managers who are seized with the gigantic responsibility of steering this process. 

 
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The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka has commended the disaster management teams that responded swiftly to the Transnet pipeline fire that took place yesterday in Clairwood Durban. 

Yesterday, at 04h20 AM Disaster Management teams were dispatched to respond to a reported fire at Horseshoe Road, Clairwood. Upon arrival and further investigation, the teams were able to identify the source of the fire as a pipeline.

Quick action by the fire and rescue teams working together with Transnet brought the fire under control. 

Further assessments by the rescue personnel found three bodies of 

people that are believed to have died as a result of the fire. 

Preliminary assessments indicate that the fire could have started as a result of an attempt to perforate the pipeline and siphon product into an awaiting tanker. It is believed perpetrators carried out excavation and exposed the pipe which they then punctured at three points. 

At this moment in time is not clear whether the three fatalities are linked to the attempt to steal fuel from the pipeline. 

As a result of the fire, 270 people from 130 households residing at the informal settlement which had encroached on the pipeline have been temporarily displaced, disaster management teams are working together with social partners to provide interim relief to the affected. 

The MEC for Cogta Mr S.E Hlomuka has called upon residents to not encroach on hazardous installations as this poses a huge risk to their own safety. Our communities must follow the safety laws that have been put in place to protect hazardous installations such as rail roads, gas, fuel and water pipelines. 

MEC Hlomuka has also called upon law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in their quest to apprehend syndicates that penetrate dangerous installations intending to steal products. 

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In line with his commitment to making local government work better for communities across the province of KZN, the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC Sipho Hlomuka today, 27 October officially opened the Imbali Youth Enterprise Park in Msunduzi and the Matimatolo Community Service Centre, in the uMvoti Local Municipality. 

The opening and handover of the two facilities is an important milestone in the efforts made by the provincial government, through Cogta, to bring government services closer to communities and address youth unemployment.

In the Imbali Youth Enterprise Park, the department of Cogta invested R9.4 million so that the facility can be built. The facility provides office space for youth-owned businesses and houses training programmes that are aimed at assisting young people who are in business. 

Speaking during the opening of the Enterprise Park, which took place at Imbali Unit 2, MEC Hlomuka re-affirmed his department’s commitment to rejuvenating townships such as Imbali through the deliberate investment in key projects that provide opportunities for the youth. “It gives me great pleasure to be a witness to the opening of this project which will assist our young people to be better able to exploit opportunities in business through the state of the art office space that is now available here at Imbali at a reduced cost to young people,” said MEC Hlomuka.  

According to Msunduzi Mayor, Cllr Mzimkhulu Thobolla, the investment that has been made by the department of Cogta into this project will transform the lives of many young people who will now receive specialised support for their businesses. “The ongoing support that we continue to receive from the department of Cogta has ensured that we can deliver on projects such as this one, which helps us to provide specialised support to youth-owned businesses,” said Mayor Thobolla.

MEC Hlomuka also visited the rural village of Matimatolo, near Greytown, where he officially opened the Matimatolo Community Service Centre, which is a specialised facility that houses government services. Through this centre, the residents of Matimatolo will no longer have to travel long distances to access basic government services such as home affairs, the Department of Labour and others. 

The Mayor of uMvoti Cllr Thami Ngubane, has hailed the new centre as a step in the right direction by the provincial government as it ensures that rural communities receive developments that make their lives easier especially when it comes to accessing government services. 

The centre will also house a state of the art computer centre which will assist the youth to upskill themselves so that they can get access to better opportunities.

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Residents of the Harry Gwala district municipality have been urged to exercise extreme caution as their area is prone to weather-related disasters, such as runaway veld fires, thunderstorms with lightning, hailstorms and heavy rains resulting in flooding. 

This was the message from KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka when he launched the Summer Season Disaster Awareness Campaign in the district today at the Morningside Sports Ground, Ixopo. 

The campaign will raise awareness within communities about the dangers posed by inclement weather conditions, especially in summer. Hlomuka also officially opened the multi-million rand Fire and Rescue Centre built by the department in partnership with the uBuhlebezwe local municipality. 

The Rescue Centre houses firefighters and other disaster management teams and is located in the township of Morningside. According to uBuhlebezwe Mayor, Cllr Ngubo, Morningside was an obvious choice for this structure because government is keen to build key infrastructure in townships.

According to Hlomuka, his department will continue to invest millions of rand into improving the ability of municipalities to respond to disasters with specialised centres and equipment. “When we build municipal capacity to respond to disasters, we are also making our areas attractive to investors and improve the safety of communities,” said Hlomuka. 

Speaking at the event Mayor Nxumalo said: “The opening of this state of the art fire station marks an important milestone in our efforts to ensure safety for our communities. Should any incident strike, we know that assistance will arrive very fast. As we start the summer season, we are ready to face disasters,” said Nxumalo. 

As part of the event, 10 disaster victims, mostly from Ofafa area, received assistance in the form of groceries and other household items. One of the victims Babongile Mthembu (34) lost her son Nhlanzeko (9) in a lightning ancident when he was on his way to school last month.

This week a lightning conductor was installed near her home. “I am very grateful for this intervention. I hope it will help save someone else’s child. I lost mine. I do feel safe now since a lightning conductor was installed. Also having a firestation here will help us as a community,” said Mthembu. 

As part of the programme, Hlomuka also handed over cheques to the 30 local SMMEs who have been identified as Operation Vula beneficiaries.

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The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC Sipho Hlomuka has officially opened the multi-million rand municipal precinct that will house the head offices of the uMuziwabantu Local Municipality in Harding. 

The facility includes offices for municipal officials and a council chamber. Speaking at the opening of the precinct, MEC Hlomuka commended the leadership of the municipality for utilising its revenues to build the state of the art building, which now ensures that the municipality no longer has to pay rent like it previously did for its old offices. 

During the handover, MEC Hlomuka was accompanied by the Mayor of the Municipality Cllr Dixie Nciki and the Mayor of the uThukela District, Cllr Sizwe Ngcobo. 

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mayor Nciki emphasised the outgoing Councils commitment to ensure that the municipality has its own offices which are accessible to all residents. “We are happy to see that our new precinct has been concluded and we are now able to serve our communities at our facilities that meet all necessary health and safety standards,” said Nciki. 

In his remarks during the ceremony, MEC Hlomuka called upon community members to protect this vital infrastructure that has been built so that they can have easy access to government services. 

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Fresh clean drinking water is now a reality for the rural communities of eMandabeni and eMoyeni in the Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality. This morning MEC Hlomuka paid a special visit to these villages where he officially handed over production boreholes that were built by the department. 

As part of this visit, MEC Hlomuka also handed over lightning conductors to the two villages which have had incidents in the past. 

Speaking during his address to the community of eMandabeni, MEC Hlomuka encouraged residents to protect the crucial infrastructure that the department has built within their communities so that they can have water. 

“One of the biggest challenges facing communities in the municipality is the damage and vandalism of critical infrastructure that brings water. Recently the village of Thembalihle in Ward 19 had no water as a result of a cable theft incident in which a pump station was ransacked by criminals who stripped it of crucial cables which negatively impacted the ability of the community to receive water” said Hlomuka.

MEC Hlomuka also called upon residents to work closely with law enforcement agencies by reporting any suspicious activities. “Our municipalities are losing millions of rands every year as a result of cable theft, this is hampering our efforts as government to bring water to our communities. We as the communities must take a stand against these criminals” added Hlomuka. 

Issued by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

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