Gauteng MEC for Finance Jacob Mamabolo has introduced an innovative approach to service delivery through the Gauteng Local Government Turnaround Barometer Dashboard. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
The Gauteng province is set to unveil its eagerly anticipated municipal performance management system, the Gauteng Local Government Turnaround Barometer Dashboard, this month.
This innovative platform is designed to elevate service delivery and track the implementation of essential municipal services across the province.
MEC for the Department of Infrastructure Development and the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, spoke to SABC News, highlighting the dashboard’s purpose as a comprehensive tool to monitor local government departments.
The aim is to effectively address pressing issues surrounding service delivery, including ongoing water and electricity challenges, while maintaining vigilant oversight of wasteful expenditure within the municipalities.
The development of the barometer follows the Local Government Turnaround Summit held last October, which resolved to enhance the functionality and effectiveness of municipalities.
Gauteng’s administrative landscape comprises three metro municipalities, two district municipalities, and six local municipalities, each of which will now be assessed through this cohesive performance management system.
“This platform is part of a turnaround strategy that we adopted at the end of October last year. This is to say to the people of the province, here is a platform and a barometer where we will have a single view of total performance by all municipalities,” Mamabolo explained.
He stressed that the previous methods of performance evaluation were manual and outdated, indicating a significant shift towards modernity in municipal operations.
As part of this initiative, Mamabolo expressed optimism that the barometer would not only enhance performance but also lead to improved service delivery while curbing irregularities related to budgeting and expenditure.
“With this smart platform, you will be able to know how every municipality in the province is performing. Additionally, municipalities are interested in how their peers are faring, fostering an environment of best practices where they can learn from each other,” he elaborated.
Key to the success of this strategy is the commitment to hold monthly meetings with all municipalities. These gatherings will focus on crucial elements such as planning, modelling, risk management, and will serve as essential checkpoints for evaluating municipal progress.
Mamabolo underscored the importance of a dedicated turnaround committee that will oversee the implementation of decisions and ensure that strategic plans do not remain merely aspirational but translate into actionable outcomes.
“Implementation of the decisions here will make or break the summit’s work,” he cautioned, signifying that the effectiveness of this initiative hinges on tangible actions and accountability.
The recent two-day Local Government Turnaround Summit convened leaders from various levels of government, resulting in several resolutions aimed at strategic cooperation and resource pooling to confront the urgent matters facing local government authorities.
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za