2014 ended on a high note for the Makana Municipality. After being placed under administration, the Council and the broader Makana community attended a service delivery summit and signed a pledge to “…to commit ourselves, our organisations and our institutions to do all in our individual and collective power to truly make Makana ‘a great place to be”.
2014 ended on a high note for the Makana Municipality. After being placed under administration, the Council and the broader Makana community attended a service delivery summit and signed a pledge to “…to commit ourselves, our organisations and our institutions to do all in our individual and collective power to truly make Makana ‘a great place to be”.
The New Year began in earnest with the Work Streams commencing their work on 13 and 14 February 2015.
All the meetings sat and there was representation from the Council, managers and civil society.
The spirit and commitment demonstrated was quite encouraging and I have no doubt that the outputs of the work streams will create the necessary impetus to improve the lives of the broader Makana community.
As Administrator, I am humbled by the level of support that members of civil society continue to demonstrate and it is my commitment that I will do everything in my power to make it worthwhile to the volunteers. However, I would be naïve if I thought this process would be problem-free. The connection between the Council and the community requires dedication and trust. There still remain serious doubts and mistrust about the process and the Council’s bona fides. As a new arrival (despite the fact that I grew up in Joza), I see my role as bridging the gap and facilitating a process of healing and acceptance. However, I could never fix everything and it is my plea and wish that all involved put in the effort and dedication to make things work.
The work streams spent time identifying expectations and clearing the air, so to speak. The next round of meetings, which should commence in the next three weeks, should see more tangible actions being implemented. All the work streams were requested to identify quick wins and some of the tangible ideas or concrete actions that seem to be coming up include the following:
• The development of a capacitation programme for councillors and managers;
• Invitation of a motivational speaker to get everyone in the Council (Councillors, Managers and officials) to commit to and see the need for change;
• The presentation and discussion of the existing Makana Fraud Prevention policy:
• The upgrading and full population of the Makana website as a first step in sharing information with residents;
• The identification of water-delivery hotspots (areas most affected by interruptions) and explore the introduction of rainwater harvesting and tanks in these areas to mitigate the water interruption challenges;
• The presentation and workshopping of the AG report with all councillors and managers to ensure everyone understands the role they have to play in improving audit outcomes;
• Improving the work of Ward Committees, including the development of ward-based plans as a basis for connecting with communities and ensuring accountability;
• The development of specific campaigns to restore pride in all citizens.
During the next two weeks as Administrator I have my work cut out for me and with the assistance of councillors and managers in the institution I am sure the next round of work streams should deliver tangible results. The door is not closed for other members of the community to still express their willingness to join the work streams, or offer any other support they deem necessary.
Let us all do our part to make Makana a great place to be.
Pam Yako
Pam@zenandeleadership.com or nmandla@makana.gov.za
