MASIBAMBANE COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Minutes of 2009/10 Fourth Quarter and Year Review Meeting held on 15 July 2010 at the
Southern Sun Hotel, Pretoria
1. OPENING AND WELCOME SESSION
1.1 Introductions, Attendance and Apologies
The meeting was co-chaired by Mr W Moraka (SALGA) and Ms C Damons (Dept of
Cooperative Governance). Attendance and apologies were duly registered.
1.2 Approval of Agenda
The following changes were made on the agenda during the course of the meeting
because of the absence of presenters:

Item 3(c) 2010/11 Budget Allocations

Item 6(b) Human Settlement – Accelerated Service Delivery Plans & Outputs

Item 6(d) Bulk Water Infrastructure Programme
2. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING (25 FEBRUARY 2010)
2.1 Corrections and Adoption
One typing error was corrected on the minutes:

Item 3.2 – under comments (b): “contemned” should be corrected to “contained”
2.2 Matters Arising
a) Role of Civil Society Organisations – item included on the meeting agenda
b) Facilitation of knowledge sharing – Part of the agenda under Announcements; the
action has been included WIN-SA’s 2010/11 work plan
c) Improving IGR in the water sector (suitable model) – Ms N Duma reported that a
proposal will be presented at the next MCC meeting after further consideration by
DWA senior management
d) Identifying joint initiatives to improve Water Quality in regions (as part of World
Water Quality Day activities) – Mr L Manus reported that no meetings have taken
place as per the proposed action; however the team has been working with
regional offices, and submissions have been received from all the regions except
for KZN. A detailed hand-out will be distributed during the meeting.
e) Building better relations for effective regulatory function – Ms T Sigwaza mentioned
that the matter is now being discussed by the WSLG Regulation Task Team and
that a report will be provided in due course.
Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
f) Waste water discharge registration system – Mr Masia Mgwambani reported that
Gauteng region has been selected as a pilot for the registration and that a meeting
has been held to kick-start the process. An implementation plan is being developed
with inputs from the Directorate: Resource Protection and Waste.
g) LGTAS: Water sector approach – Ms J Evans indicated that a detailed report of the
DWA approach is part of the agenda. DWA has identified O&M, WCDM and
professionalization as its priority contribution in the LGTAS. She also highlighted
that DWA is arguing for the ring fencing of the operation and maintenance portion
of the Equitable Share and the Refurbishment Grant (part of the DWA transfer of
assets to WSAs) and this is being supported by the District Water Services
Managers Forum. Mr Moraka commented that the ring fencing of water services
operation and maintenance budgets should be applicable in all WSAs and not just
those affected by scheme transfers.
h)
Working with established CMAs – the proposed action plan forms part of the
day’s agenda
i) National Treasury Guidelines regarding Green Drop publication – Mr Manus
mentioned that copies of municipal budget circular (No31) were distributed. The
circular outlines requirements for waste water treatment works in municipal
budgets.
j) River Health Programme – an Adopt-a-River Programme has been launched in the
Eastern Cape and Western Cape during the Water Week. A concept document has
been developed to guide regions in developing regional implementation plans and
a workshop was held with affected regions. An implementation plan has been
developed and water boards are being used as implementing agents. The
programme will be officially launched by the Deputy Minister in Limpopo (4 August
2010) and Kwa-Zulu Natal (13 August 2010) and the Minister in Eastern Cape (21
October 2010).
3. HIGHLIGHTS OF SECTOR PERFORMANCE
3.1 Strategic Overview of the Fourth Quarter (2009/10)
Ms Portia Makhanya presented highlights of sector performance covering the 4th Quarter
of 2009/10 and the 2009/10 financial year as a whole. The report is summarised as
follows:

The National Water Week was held in March 2010 with various activities and events
led by the Minister of Water Affairs. These included the launching of Ngcebo Bulk
Water Project in KZN, additional R86m for drought relief in Eastern Cape and
releasing the 2009 Green Drop report. The Deputy Minister launched the Adopt-aRiver project in Western Cape and a War-on-Leaks project in Gauteng (Mogale City).

Some WSLG task teams are functional. The most active are the Regulation and Skills
Development Task Teams, and a few other working groups.
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
Performance highlights for the 2009/10 Financial Year
a) Reduction of backlogs
 Number of people accessing basic water supply have increased by 1.07
million during 2009/10. This is below the set 2009/10 target of 3 million people
 An additional 1261 schools have access to basic water supply facilities as at
end of March 2010 against a target of 1330 schools
 Access to household sanitation has increased by 217, 912 households against
a target of 1 million households
 Schools with basic sanitation facilities have increased 1241 against a target of
1258 schools

1048 bucket toilets were removed in the past financial year
The following were highlighted as main factors affecting performance (eradication
of backlogs)
 Lack of bulk water and sanitation services infrastructure
 Reporting on household sanitation is very poor, meaning that accurate figures
are not always captured in the quarterly reports
Other highlights include:
 6 regional bulk water supply projects have been completed in 2009/10 and 34
were under construction during the reporting period
 An additional 797 staff were transferred to Water Service Authorities during
the 2009/10 FY
b) Institutional management and planning
 128 municipalities are now reporting through the Regulatory Performance
Management System (RPMS)
 80% of the WSAs submit annual reports to the Minister on the implementation
of their WSDPs
 59% of the WSAs have finalised their water service provider arrangements
Other highlights
 The Local Government Turn-Around Strategy has been approved by Cabinet
and DWA is working with SALGA and the Department of Cooperative
Governance to develop a sector response focusing on three priorities:
operation and maintenance, professionalization and water conservation and
demand management.
 The Siyenza Manje project has provided technical support to both DWA and
Department of Cooperative Governance through the placement of deployees
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
(6 placed in DWA regional offices and 1 at DoCG. A further 435 deployees
have now been placed in municipalities.
c) Water Services Provider Capacity
 59% of water service providers have developed business plans
 38% of WSAs have developed customer charters
 70% have developed asset management systems
d) Establishment of CMAs
 Only two CMAs have been established to date
 The two CMAs are submitting business plans and annual reports. They are
also developing Catchment Management Strategies
e) Integrated Water Resource Management
 The Water Allocation Reform plans have been developed in six regions (KZN,
WC, LP, MP, NW & NC)
 20% of WSAs have developed Water Conservation and Demand Management
Plans
 The Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement programme is active and all
cases have been reported to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee and other
authorities. A total of 93 directives were issued but only 10% were resolved. Of
the directives, 27 were pursued as criminal cases. The highest transgressor
was the agricultural sector with a total of 48 directives.
 Two additional irrigation boards have been transformed into Water User
Associations during the 2009/10 financial year, leading to 54% transformation
of irrigation boards that existed in 1998.
 Licensing backlog is being reduced – 961 cases have been finalised, 1892 are
still in process and only 429 are still to be considered
 5725 resource poor farmers have received government assistance during the
2009/10 financial year; most of these are in Mpumalanga (96%)
 A total of 1,962 rain water harvesting tanks have been provided to 1,237
households during the 2009/10 FY
f)
Civil Society Participation
 Civil society organisations are involved in awareness campaigns and Water for
Growth and Development initiatives (e.g. WCDM)
 Funded programmes were affected by the delay in releasing of EU funds
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
g) Sector Collaboration
 All sector collaborative structures meet regularly. The main concern is
Mpumalanga region, which still does not have a provincial structure and only
works through three district forums.
 Eight provincial water sector plans have been reviewed
 Seven water indabas were convened in the 2009/10 financial year
h) Sector Reporting
 Reporting on drinking water quality is still weak with only 48% submission
ratio. Results from submitted reports indicate that compliance is high.
 The 2010 Blue Drop assessment covered 787 water supply systems (49%
more than the 2009 assessment) and out of these, 38 obtained Blue Drop
certification (40% more than the 2009 assessment); 13 retained the status
from the previous assessment; and 10 failed to retain status from the previous
assessment. Most certified systems were in the Western Cape (14 water
systems certified) and Limpopo showed an improvement with three systems
receiving certification (up from none from 2009).
Highlights from Sector Partners’ Progress Reports
a) WIN-SA

Improved Service Delivery
 Infrastructure Asset Management was identified as a pilot for the Topic Hub
 A case study has been documented and best practices shared for infrastructure
asset management

Knowledge sharing and capacity
 A social network has been established consisting of 190 members; the aim is to
create a platform where water sector practitioners share information
 The WIN-SA newsletter has been published with two case studies on WC/DM
documented for Emfuleni and Ekurhuleni

Knowledge sharing across the water sector in SADC and Africa
 WIN-SA has established the Southern Africa Knowledge Node on sustainable
sanitation in collaboration with WRC

Building a Network
 A National water information and data management workshop was held and a
concept paper was developed for the WSLG on information, data and knowledge
management
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
b) SALGA
 A draft concept paper for joint MIS related programme with LG associations in
Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique is near completion
 Eleven Water Boards were consulted on the bulk water tariff increases
 Development of nine strategies on Water Conservation and Demand Management
for municipalities is near completion
 SALGA partnered with the DWA to compile an assessment report on drinking water
quality and blue drop certification
c) Department of Health
 Health and Hygiene Education training has been conducted for Environmental Health
Officers and Port Health Officers
 The Health and Hygiene Education strategy has been rolled out in 8 Provinces
except Limpopo
 A draft booklet on Community Home Based Care and Hygiene has been developed
 Water and sanitation indicators are now incorporated into the District Health
Information System
Challenges affecting Sector Performance
a) The global recession led to a reduction in funding from international development
partners – EU, Irish Aid and DFID.
b) The institutional realignment project has not been concluded. This has negatively
affected progress in the establishment of CMAs
c) There is still poor coordination of baseline planning information such as backlog
figures. This affects planning initiatives and identification of hot spots
d) There remains some uncertainty regarding future funding of some programmes
Comments
 Mr W Moraka (SALGA) made two comments:
o
It is important for the MCC to take time and reflect on how the sector should
be responding to the challenges that affect sector performance
o
Noting that the reports were for the 4th Quarter of 2009/10 (year ending March
2010), he commented that a report for 1st Quarter of 2010/11 should have
been distributed in preparation of the next meeting which will look at both
Quarter 1 and 2 of 2010/11.
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
 Mr Frank Kirwan (Irish Aid) made the following comments:
o
The HIV/AIDS mainstreaming strategy has been aproved by the WSLG core
group; however, stakeholders have to be updated about its status within the
DWA system. It is important to begin planning for roll-out of the strategy
o
On the issue of challenges related to funding withdrawal, the Irish Aid
acknowledges the implications the withdrawal may have on the South African
water sector. It was not an easy decision to take. In considering the decision,
the Irish Aid looked at which partners are less in need of funding, and it was
concluded that Masibambane WSSP has now developed a solid capacity
base through which additional funding from government and other sources
can be harnessed. The withdrawal should be seen as an opportunity for the
sector to explore other avenues including how to sustain the current
programmes without receiving donor assistance.
 Ms Portia Makhanya responded to some of the comments as follows:
o
The report presented covers the whole of 2009/10. The report for the 1st
Quarter of 2010/11 (ending June 2010) was not yet ready for distribution.
o
The HIV/AIDS mainstreaming strategy is still going through the internal
approval processes of DWA. The strategy has been discussed by senior
Management and it is now in the DDG P&R’s office (report confirmed by Ms
Ndala Duma and Ms Jackie Nel)
o
Regarding withdrawal of donor funding, DWA has been working with National
Treasury to develop exit strategies. Some of the donor-funded programmes
will be internalised as core functions within the DWA and funded through the
voted funds. So far, National Treasury has provided R200m to supplement
donor funding for this year only (2010/11).
 Ms Thoko Sigwaza advised that the sector partners must ensure that the core
principles of Masibambane should live beyond donor funding. More effort should be
put on sharing best practice and strengthening collaborative partnerships at
provincial and national levels.
3.2 Overview of Financial Performance
Mr Thabiso Toka presented an overview of budget and expenditures for the 2009/10
financial year and budget allocations for the 2010/11 financial year. The report is
summarised as follows:
a) The total budget for the water sector programme in 2009/10 was R19, 5 billion. About
R12, 1 billion fell outside DWA coffers and funded recurrent expenditure. Only R4
billion went into capital infrastructure and water resources infrastructure’s share
amounted to R6, 4 billion.
b) Only R17, 7 billion was spent. With regards to donor funded projects, there was a
generally observed low expenditure during the 2009/10 financial year – sector
partners only spent 48% of their allocation; Northern Cape and KZN recorded
expenditures of 30% and 32% respectively. The biggest challenge in this regard was
the late disbursement of donor funding (from the donors to DWA).
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
c) The unspent funds have now been rolled over to this financial year (2010/11) and will
be combined with the R200m allocation from National Treasury.
d) Low expenditure has also been recorded in the Water Services and Water Resources
branches of the DWA. In both cases, expenditure was affected by a moratorium
placed on staff appointments.
e) As at the end of March 2010, 64% of MIG allocations to municipalities was recorded
as spent. It has to be noted though that the municipal financial year-end is end of
June.
f)
Equitable Share allocations showed 100% expenditure
Outlining the process for new donor funds allocations, Mr Toka mentioned that R395m is
now available and an internal task team (DWA) has been established to consider
submissions for allocations and give advice to DWA management accordingly.
Comments/Questions
 Do the rolled funds include voted funds?
Mr Toka replied that this is not automatic because rolling voted funds has to follow
National Treasury procedures.
 Why was there low expenditure in KZN and Northern Cape as compared to other
regions?
Some regions received funds late and could not commit these to any programme.
 How were the funds on Water Resources spent? Is it possible to indicate for which
projects and programmes, and how much was spent per programme and project?
Mr Kopa could not provide the details of water resources projects immediately; it was
agreed that he must be contacted directly to provide the required information.
 Why is there low expenditure on capacity building projects?
The main reason is usually the difference in financial year-ends of municipalities and
national government.
4.
FEEDBACK ON ISSUES RAISED IN LAST MCC MEETING
4.1
Role of CSOs in Regulation
Ms Kate Tissington gave a brief feedback on how CSOs have been engaging with
DWA and other partners on regulation. The engagement has been elevated to the
Minister and the Parliament Portfolio Committee. Some of the water-related issues for
which CSOs are currently engaging with government are:
 Usage of Water Demand Management devices in Cape Town in relation to
access to free basic water and free basic sanitation – CSOs have expressed
concerns that these devices are unfair to low-income (poor) communities. The
Cape Town Metro introduced these devices as a mechanism to curb high
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
water consumption by reducing water flow; however the devices seems to be
used to stop access when communities members do not pay for consumption.
 Timber plantations – The CSOs are opposed to large scale afforestation and
how these affect water availability. Use of indigenous plants is advocated.
Questions/Comments
 What are the terms of reference of CSOs participating in the reference group on
regulation? The CSOs must assist DWA to improve sector regulation.
In response, Ms Hameda Deedat said that the civil society group worked
intensively on the water services regulation strategy without paid time.
4.2
Involvement of CSOs in the Water Sector Programme
Ms Ndala Duma introduced the concept and intent of the Water Services Civil Society
programme. The main purpose of the programme is to enhance and support civil
society’s involvement in the water sector. She further highlighted the key activities
proposed for civil society involvement in 2010/11.
Ms Mary Galvin presented the concept paper proposed in the last MCC meeting. She
indicated that the proposal was still very raw – it has not been consulted broadly and it
has just raised issues to elicit inputs.
Questions/Comments
 It was suggested that the terms of reference of the appointed service provider
should be shared with regional officials to ensure that meaningful input is given
based on clear understanding of what is expected.
 It was also proposed that the study must look at different examples of CSOs in
different contexts. This includes how CSOs participate in CMAs and Water User
Associations
 In response, Ms Duma mentioned that the study would also look at existing
provincial initiatives of involving CSOs. She further indicated that the information
on the terms of reference would be sent to regions. She concluded by indicating
that the final proposition on CSO involvement will be presented to CSO structures
– after which an action plan will be developed.
4.3
Green Drop Report and Programme of Action
Mr Leonardo Manus gave feedback on the 2009 Green Drop report recently released
by the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs. The report shows that:
o
Only 7% of the assessed waste water treatment plants in South Africa are in
excellent condition. About 38% are in acceptable condition and the rest (55%)
are unacceptable. The 2009 assessment covered only 47% of existing WWTW
in the country
o
The problematic issues are not only related to infrastructure, but mostly about
management (operation and maintenance, staffing, etc)
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
o
The findings have also highlighted key requirements to get the WWTW in
shape – these include funding, information (records) management and staffing.
Mr Manus continued to outline the eleven criteria used to assess the WWTW. These
criteria led to determination of a national risk profile through which 129 WWTW were
identified as in a critical state.
The Department of Water Affairs is now developing a WWTW Turn-Around Plan,
which includes amongst others:
o
Implementing risk abatement measures
o
Targeted coaching programme
o
Introducing alternative technologies
o
Intensifying regulation
o
Creating awareness
o
Improve Green Drop incentives
o
Optimise refurbishment funding options
The 2011 assessment will utilise the same criteria as the 2009 and 2010 assessments.
About 101 DWA officials (96) and consultants (5) have been trained as assessors but
only 56 qualified and are being used in the assessments. He concluded by outlining a
work plan for the next report to be completed in June 2011.
Questions/Comments
 Mr W Moraka commended the DWA for releasing the Green Drop report just in
time to influence budgeting. It would have been even more useful to release the
Blue Drop too. He further suggested that it is SALGA’s view that the Green Drop
assessment should also be applied to private sector owned sewage works, so that
a global view of all sewage works in South Africa could be presented. Mr Moraka
also suggested that there is a need for the DWA and other departments to gear up
support to those municipalities whose sewage works are not complying and those
that are not participating in the assessment process.
In his response, Mr Manus mentioned that the financial year-end target was
considered. He also mentioned that resources are limiting the extension of the
assessment to private sector companies, however the department has been
approached by some private sector operators to conduct the assessments,
indicating that the process is being taken seriously. The department is not focusing
on supporting municipalities through these assessments; however, the next on-site
assessments will prioritise those works that were previously not assessed and aim
for 100% assessment.
4.4
Overview of Institutional Realignment and Oversight
Mr Konanani Khorommbi gave a brief overview of the state of different water
management and water service institutions that report to the Minister. About 284
institutions currently report to the Minister of Water Affairs according to law.
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
This figure composes of Catchment Management Agencies (2), Water Boards (13), the
Trans-Caledon Transfer Authority, Water User Associations/Irrigation Boards (167),
and the Water Research Commission.
The state of these institutions was briefly outlined as follows:
 Catchment Management Agencies – only two CMAs have been established –
Inkomati and Breede-Overberg CMAs. These two CMAs are not fully functional
due to outstanding delegations, slow transfer of staff from DWA regional offices
(proto-CMAs), dependence on seed funding and review of governance
arrangements.
 Water User Associations – About 31 new WUAs have been established and 59
irrigation boards have been transformed into WUAs. About 220 irrigation
boards are still to be transformed into WUAs according to the National Water
Act. Responsibility for operation and maintenance of fifteen government water
schemes has been transferred to relevant WUAs.
 Water Boards – Namakwa WB is being disestablished and the future of
Pelladrift WB is under consideration.
Mr Khorommbi shared plans for 2010/11 with the meeting, and these include
 Setting up provincial coordinating structures to coordinate water resource
management activities of various institutions
 Strengthen the proto-CMAs (ring-fence personnel and functions)
 Start a quarterly national bulletin on water management institutions
 Establishment of a national forum for water resources management
 Delegation of functions to CMAs
 Support the functions of the South African Association of Water User
Associations
 Hold quarterly review meetings for CMA performance (first one on 05/08/2010)
 Business plan appraisals of CMAs (February & April), WUAs (June) and WBs
(August)
 Finalise the Inkomati CMA catchment management strategy
Questions/Comments
 How do CSOs get involvement in WUAs?
 What is the value of WUAs in water management?
 What are the main triggers of institutional realignment? Is it just about reducing
number of structures reporting to the Minister of Water Affairs or is it about finding
optimal delivery mechanisms?
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
 Are there any realistic intentions of restructuring Water Boards in terms of how
these are configured?
 Legislation seems to have created conflict between water boards and
municipalities. Are there plans to make amendments?
In response, Ms Thoko Sigwaza highlighted the following:
 The institutional realignment process is happening at a suitable time that
includes a review of legislation and development of the National Water
Resources Strategy. A suitable PSP should be appointed before October 2010
and the project will take about 18 months to be concluded.
 The role of civil society in water management is an important learning point for
South Africa. The Department has assessed the Inkomati CMA on this aspect
based on lessons from the Netherlands.
 The review of water management institutions, especially CMAs, cannot be
limited to optimisation. There is a strong case for looking at financial viability
given that it costs government R22m of seed funding to support each CMA
annually. Over time, CMAs must be able to cover most of their operational
costs from licensing fees and water management levies.
 Water User Associations are valuable water management structures given their
critical role in collecting water resource charges directly from water users who
are members of WUAs. They also assist government in operation and
maintenance of government water schemes and creating a self-regulation
platform at local level (controlling water use, adherence to allocations and
protection of the resource). It is expected that even in future, CMAs are going
to work closely with WUAs to create effective liaison with water users.
 Reduction of numbers is one of the objectives of the exercise but it is not the
primary objective. The key is to achieve optimal operations, effective regulations
and accountability. Of course, the other argument is that by creating fewer CMAs,
there will be a removal of localised management of a water management area, so
there is a need for a balance.
 WUAs are not just about users – they should also address broader concerns of the
public such as water quality. Where possible, these must be linked to existing
stakeholder forums.
5.
TOPICAL SERVICE DELIVERY ISSUES
5.1
Proposed Special Purpose Vehicles for Accelerated Service Delivery
Mr Victor Mathare (Department of Cooperative Governance) presented the proposed
model for accelerating service delivery using Special Purpose Vehicle to manage
infrastructure projects from design to construction. He began by briefly outlining the
basis for the proposal, which, he indicated, emanated from poor infrastructure delivery
in some municipalities as found during the State of Local Government Study. He
indicated that a differentiated approach will be required to respond to poor
infrastructure delivery and the Department has therefore classified municipalities using
a unique set of specific problems broadly defined by economic capacity, spatial-urban
characteristics and management capacity.
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
The target of the SPV is the low capacity municipalities, and the proposed approaches
took lessons from South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup planning experience, and the
SPV is seen as short-term intervention. The proposed SPV will be either directly
involved in planning, procurement, delivery, managing funds, operating systems and
coordinating or where demonstrable capacity exists, the SPV will provide support to
accelerate delivery.
For this approach to work, it will require adjustment of legislation, conditions for fiscal
allocation and governance arrangements. In well-capacitated municipalities, the SPV
will assist with reviewing plans and evaluating performance. According to current
assessments, approximately 80 municipalities fall in the low-capacity category and will
need direct support.
Comments/Questions
 Ms J Evans suggested that the proposals do require further engagement with
DWA. She also suggested that the proposal be presented in the working
group that DWA has established with DCoG. The issue that immediately
arises is the intended role of government in the SPV process, because it seems
that the SPV will take over what are essentially core government responsibilities.
 Mr W Moraka wanted to know when the proposal would be taken to Cabinet.
 Ms Neliswa Mkhize asked about the proposed Schedule 7 for MIG. How will SPV
monitor and ensure proper uniformity across all municipalities (Metro’s and low
capacity LMs) in terms of adherence to general and special MIG conditions and
principles? Have the proposals from the municipal assessments been considered
in the review of powers and functions?
 In response, Mr Mathare mentioned that
o
Proposals from the assessment have not been lost in the process. They
are being considered, however proposals on accelerating service delivery
will not necessarily wait until decisions on review of powers and functions
are taken. The SPV is taken as an immediate intervention
o
The SPV presentation will be taken to Cabinet only after consultations
with various parties have been completed and necessary adjustments
made.
o
The role of the SPV will be operating as a government agency and
therefore it will not conflict or compete with what government does.
o
DCoG will continue to engage the DWA through other suitable platforms.
The team just took advantage of the MCC forum to introduce the
proposed SPV at a broader level.
 Where will the capacity to establish and operate the SPVs come from given the
current skill limitations within the public service?
 What will be the role of sector departments in the establishment and resourcing
of the SPV?
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
 Ms T Sigwaza noted that DCoG’s success may motivate DWA to revive its own
proposal of establishing a National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency
 In response, Mr Mathare indicated that
5.2
o
DWA must not rush into revisiting the NWRIA proposal until a clear sense
of direction emerges from the DCoG process because indeed there are
still negative perceptions around “agencification” of government.
o
Securing resources to capacitate the SPVs is being considered and
various models may be adopted including using under-utilised capable
government officials and collaborating with the private sector. The point of
departure is for government to take the most cost-effective approach of
optimally utilising what exists within the public sector. The role of sector
departments in defining the most appropriate models will be crucial.
o
MIG conditions and principles for metros and low capacity municipalities
will be differentiated.
LGTAS
Ms J Evans outlined the process that led to the development of the LGTAS and the
proposed implementation process. The LGTAS has now been adopted by Cabinet.
The underlying goals contained under LGTAS Vision 2014 are:
 Single election for national, provincial and local government
 Universal access to affordable basic services
 Appropriate formalisation of informal settlements
 Clean cities and towns
 Infrastructure backlogs should be reduced significantly
 Clean Audits for provincial and local government
 Eliminate violent protests
 Municipal debt is reduced by half
 Empowered and capacitated organs of people’s power (Street, Block/Section,
Village & Ward Committees)
 Trained and competent councillors, traditional leaders, officials, Ward
Committee members, CDWs and community activists
The DWA and other sector partners are working together to support municipalities to
develop Municipal Turn-Around Strategies (MTAS). The MTAS must be completed by
December 2010 with clear budget allocations for key turn-around plans. As of July
2010 over 90% of municipalities had developed the MTAS, however not all have been
adopted by municipal councils. It has been observed that executive support in
municipalities is affecting the submission of MTAS to national office, and that some of
the submitted MTAS are still based on wish-lists due to municipalities presupposing
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
that additional funding will be provided. Some sector departments are also not very
active in the MTAS processes and this affects the integrity of the MTAS.
The next steps in the implementation support process are:
•
Incorporating implementation activities of the MTAS in the revised IDPs and
SDBIPs
•
Establishing Rapid Response Teams in provinces to address turn around (target
date in LGTAS Implementation Plan July–August 2010)
•
Establishing monitoring structures for LGTAS at all levels of government
•
Monitoring MTAS implementation through regular reports to be submitted by
municipalities
Comments/Questions
 At what point does a municipal buy-in occur? It seems that the process has
been thought through and finalised for implementation.
 The roles between the Rapid Response Team and the SPV are not clear. The
task team must deal with these. The WfGD Framework does not mention
LGTAS and there is no indication of sector roles in such initiatives within the
broader strategic perspectives of the department.
 Mr Victor Mathare indicated that some of the issues related to the role of
provincial departments of local government and the slow adoption of MTAS by
councils will be presented at the next Local Government MINMEC. In regards
to the role of the Rapid Response Teams versus SPV, he argued that the two
are different and that the RRT will deal with emergency issues and will not
have a structured programme like the SPV.
 Ms Evans clarified some of the issues as follows:
5.3
o
It has always been clear that municipalities must own the MTAS through
council resolutions. However, it is valid to be concerned about the slow
response as an indication of low buy-in by council. This matter will be
dealt with directly with affected municipalities.
o
The presentation was not detailed enough to cover all the other
elements of LGTAS
Sector Initiatives on Operation and Maintenance
Ms Evans briefed the meeting about a structure established to coordinate actions
between DWA and DCoG on operation and maintenance. As part of DWA’s input into
the LGTAS an Operation and Maintenance Action Plan which includes key actions
such as:
 assessing conditions of critical assets (treatment works, networks, significant
pipelines, pumps) and develop asset management plans
 initiating projects to refurbish critical water services facilities
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Minutes of the Masibambane Coordination Committee 2009/10 Fourth Quarter Meeting (Held on 15 July 2010)
 supporting O&M plans at municipal level and where possible adopting labourintensive EPWP methods
 launching programmes to reduce water consumption and losses
 community awareness to address expectations, phasing and asset care
Reflecting on progress to date, Ms Evans informed the meeting that a think tank
workshop took place on 10 March 2010, and involved CoGTA, SALGA, WRC, CSIR
and DWA. The outcomes of the workshop are: a framework on O&M has been
developed; a plan for dealing with quick wins is proposed; and agreement was
reached to cascade the plan to all nine regions. Following these, Eastern Cape held a
workshop in May 2010 to develop its O&M turn-around strategy.
Comments/Questions
 Have the O&M backlogs been quantified?
DCoG is also doing audits. Limpopo has been able to quantify this; differentiating
backlogs from historical lack of access and backlogs deriving from lack of
maintenance.
6.
CONSOLIDATION OF ACTIONS
The recommendations will be noted and included in the meetings action plan
7.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. Upcoming Provincial Indaba: Northern Cape 2 September 2010 & Gauteng 19-20
August 2010
b. National Water Summit: 28 September 2010
c. Water Sector Leadership Group: 12-13 August 2010
d. Next MCC: October 2010
e. Stockholm Water Week: 5-11 September 2010
f. 3rd Africa Water Week: 23-27 August 2010
8.
CLOSURE
The Chairperson closed the meeting at 14h00
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