20 Apr 2021

The proposed national decentralisation policy seeks to improve coordination of service delivery by giving councils more autonomy, says Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Mr Eric Molale.

Addressing a Lobatse special full council meeting on Monday, Mr Molale said current service delivery processes were uncoordinated due to bureaucrat issues.

He attributed the lack of coordination to the fact that decision making on district services was usually taken at different ministry headquarters without knowing the full situation on the ground.  

Minister Molale said government sought to improve the situation by giving councils as much power as possible on  service provision in their areas as they worked closest to communities.

“The guiding principles of the draft policy is to give autonomy to councils, remove red tape, strengthen revenue collection and reform the law. This will unlock the value in our councils,” said the minister.

He said the proposed policy, which would be implemented in phases if approved by Parliament, would give city and town mayors as well as council chairpersons more power to monitor service provision.

It would promote fiscal decentralisation with councils expected to generate their own revenue through charging levies and taxes which they would then use to develop their areas, he said.

“Revenue Support Grant (from government to councils) should be performance based,” stated Mr Molale.

The minister said the policy would also bring more service delivery efficiency by introducing outward looking processes, subsidiarity in decision making as well as accountability and transparency.

 In addition, he said, it would promote economic development in local authorities and empower communities.

"The policy will not in any way affect our tribal territories, we are only looking at service delivery and transforming this republic," Mr Molale said.

The minister asked councillors to support the proposed policy, promising that it would usher in a new era of service delivery in district councils.

He said he was currently engaging councils and would later on engage Ntlo ya Dikgosi, parliamentary committees and cabinet before presenting the policy to the winter Parliament for approval.

The Lobatse councillors unanimously supported the policy with Mayor Essop Pandor expressing happiness that it was finally at draft stage.

Commenting, nominated councillor Ms Malebogo Kruger said she was happy that the policy  sought to address councils’ long standing complaints about issues of autonomy and bureaucracy.ENDS