Page 171 - UGU Dstrct Mun IDP Report '21-22

3.9.5.1 IGR Challenges
Coordination of IGR meetings has occasionally posed a challenge due to competing provincial meetings, mostly urgent. However, despite this, the municipality still managed to achieve the objective to discuss matters of common interest. There is still a challenge with the participation of sector departments in IDP Rep forum however once they are represented, they do show commitment to the structure and participate well. It is still evident in areas like projects affecting more than just the municipality, e.g. construction of houses. It has been found that a housing project would be at implementation before the bulk supply of water or sewerage system is finalised, leading to delayed occupation.
3.9.5.2 IGR Achievements
In the previous year sub technical IGR committees could not convene until the structure of the committees was adjusted and the District HODs convened committees within the district within their portfolios. The Governance subcommittee gave birth to an ICT forum who have in addition to innovative discussion and sharing resources or information where needed, held a successful inaugural ICT forum in 2017. International cooperation like the Waste Management programme and Water management programmes with the different Swedish Municipalities are not restricted to the district nor relevant local municipality only. All municipalities have a participatory role in the partnerships. This has even extended to the country where Swedish embassy has established a networking structure with all municipalities who have a relationship with Sweden. There is generally a good working relation among all the spheres of government within the district.
3.9.6 Municipal Structures
In line with Section 80 of the Municipal Structures Act, the Municipality currently has five multi-party Portfolio Committees, namely:
• Finance Portfolio Committee;
• Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee;
• Local Economic Development Portfolio Committee;
• Special Programmes Portfolio Committee; and
• Sound Governance and Human Resource Portfolio Committee.
These Portfolio Committees continue to assist the Executive Committee in policy development and monitoring to accelerate service delivery, as well as the oversight of strategic programmes and projects. Figure 3.14.4.1 gives the functionality of these committees.
There is also a Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC). The primary function of a MPAC is to help Council to hold the executive and the municipal administration to account and to ensure the efficient and effective use of municipal resources. It will do this by reviewing public accounts and exercising oversight on behalf of the Council. The committee examines the following:
• financial statements of all executive organs of council;
• any audit reports issued on those statements;
• any reports issued by the AG on the affairs of any municipal entity;
• any other financial statements or reports referred to the committee by council; and to council and
• the annual report on behalf of council and make recommendations to council.
Thereafter the MPAC may:
• report on any of those financial statements or reports to council;
• initiate and develop the annual oversight report based on the annual report;
• initiate any investigation in its area of competence; and
• perform any other function assigned by resolution of council.
3.9.6.1 Municipal BID Committees
The municipality has put in place the BID Committees and are all functional. The sittings of committees are based on the roster that is scheduled on annual basis. The committees are comprised as follows:
IDP REVIEW 169