The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) starts its national conference in Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon.
The conference takes place every five years and is attended by senior decision-makers including mayors, speakers, municipal managers and chief financial officers among others.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the keynote address.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson Amos Masondo and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill Lewis are also expected to address the opening ceremony.
The conference will be held under the theme Consolidating the role of local government in rebuilding communities to meet their social, economic and material needs.
It’s all systems go for the 6th SALGA National Conference#InspiringServiceDelivery#LGTransition#SALGA25 pic.twitter.com/UhM8GrDlAG
— SALGA (@SALGA_Gov) March 1, 2022
According to the Auditor General’s 2019 and 2020 municipal audit outcomes, out of the 257 municipalities across the country, only 27 received clean audits.
Eighty-nine were unqualified, 66 were qualified, six were adverse, there were 12 disclaimers, while audits in 57 municipalities were not completed.
Resident all over the country are constantly protesting, demanding better services that range from water provision, housing, electricity and other infrastructure.
Scores of councillors have been killed since last year’s elections in a bloody contest for positions.
It is these and other issues that the two-day conference is expected to address.
