IMPENDLE MAYOR
In our endeavor to fulfil the service delivery mandate to the community as the Council, Management Team and Staff of Impendle Local Municipality, we are proud to present the 2018/19 to 2021/22 Final IDP to Impendle Council, Community, Staff and the South African Society and the World at large.
During the IDP preparation period, an extensive public participation throughout the Municipality was undertaken. In this process, it was established that amongst service delivery needs of Impendle Community, the common ones range from the provision of access to adequate water, road, storm water, bridges, community halls, social facilities, electricity especially infills and network connectivity. In terms of social needs communities raised were employment, health and economic and skills development. I am certain that as Councillors, Management Team and Staff of cause with the assistance of Ward Committees, Ward Administrators, Government, Organized Advocacy Groups, Political Parties and the entire community at large we shall work together to achieve our vision of
KEY POLICY DEVELOPMENTS
Economic development and job creation is an area in which the municipality put for emphasis on over the next coming five years and even more. The construction of the Maze Mill Plant built in Impendle Village is part of the Small Town Rehabilitation Program funded by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The revision of the local economic development strategy of the municipality will include these new initiatives and a number of jobs will be created from production of raw material to the retailing of the final product. This opens the opportunity for the revival of cooperatives.KEY SERVICE DELIVERY IMPROVEMENTS
We are mindful of the fact that good infrastructure is the basis for economic growth. Special attention is paid to our roads and storm water infrastructure. The Municipality also benefited from the spending 100% of its MIG and obtain additional funding which added to the upgrading of its infrastructure. Despite the challenge of plant breakdown the municipality continued to maintain community gravel roads in the past financial year. We are also doing reasonably well in the area of growing the economy and thus creating job opportunities. We are aware that SMMEs are central to growing the economy and boosting the campaign around job-creation. We have facilitated the establishment of more than 20 SMMEs in the previous year. We have successfully linked these SMMEs with funding institutions. We further awarded most outsourced services to SMMEs to help them get established. As a result, SMMEs have contributed to the eff orts to eradicate unemployment by creating job opportunities. In partnership with various SETA’s the municipality managed to train members of the community in skills like bricklaying, environmental, plumbing, etc.PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The municipality continue to focus on matters related to governance such as policies, public participation as well as improved audit outcomes. We regard ward committee as a pivotal point for communicating with the community hence the ward committees were fully functional during the reporting period. Their functionality had been reinforced by the municipality’s appointment of part time Ward Committee administrators who helped consolidate their work even further. Public participation is an institutionalized function in our Municipality. Our communities have learnt to appreciate the elaborative process which ensures that all interested residents are afforded ample opportunity to make meaningful contributions to policy development and planning for development in the municipal jurisdiction.
The evolution of ward-based planning and the related establishment of Ward Committee system have elevated community participation to higher level in terms of legal provision and institutionalization of the process. Impendle Local Municipality, through the Office of the Speaker, liaises continuously with communities through Ward Committee members and other stakeholder forums. In order to facilitate maximum participation by Ward Committee members, the Municipality provides monthly stipends of R1100.00 for each member. Ward committees are functioning pretty well in all 4 wards. Reports are received monthly and follow-ups made where necessary. Stakeholder forums with business community have also been established. Inputs are regularly solicited from these constituencies on a constant basis. Meetings are held as the need dictates. Otherwise, maximum participation takes place during annual IDP reviews and the tabling of annual budget.
AGREEMENTS & PARTNERSHIPS
In terms of intergovernmental relations and cooperation, it can be reported that the KZN Department of Human Settlement saw to the completion of the Rural Housing programme which had started a few years earlier. One of the three projects was completed in the 2012/2013 financial year and in the same year the new phase of housing delivery of another 1500 units commenced. Relations with the UMgungundlovu District Municipality had improved substantially during the previous two years and remained good during the year under review.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, The municipality has over the years made improvements in the provision of services to the community and delivery of basic infrastructure to its citizen and will continue do so in the future, However we also feel that it is time that we also pay much focus, on impacting our community through economic development, empower our youth, Women and Disable citizens to fully participate in the economy of the country and thus to open our doors to the private sector for investing opportunities within Impendle.
