InternAfrica: Municipality literacy shock

InternAfrica: Municipality literacy shock

One in three municipal councillors cannot read or write, and more lack basic competencies to run local government finances.Some councillors are even embarrassed to admit they do not understand English and are therefore unable to follow council proceedings or training sessions.It is recommended that adult education becomes a priority in all municipalities.On average, only half of local government politicians have post-matric qualifications, while only two out of 10 understand how tariffs are set or the cost implications of municipal services.And more than two-thirds of councillors - including those who serve on mayoral committees - don't understand their roles, their responsibilities or local government legislations.These facts are contained in a study by the SA Local Government Association (Salga).The depressing figures have been fingered as one of the main contributors of poor municipal service delivery, but also expose the legacy of apartheid in institutions of governance.The study - conducted since the 2006 local polls and completed late last year - evaluated 7 000 of the country's 9 300 councillors.Salga said 32 percent of councillors required ABET training."Without these skills (reading and writing) they may not fully develop their abilities and optimally contribute to council activities - especially when affairs of council are driven by agendas, reports submitted and minutes."The 32 percent of councillors who require ABET training should receive support as a matter of priority, particularly as this report shows councillors with higher levels of education stand a better chance to serve in senior positions, such as mayoral committees."Salga head of skills development Sifiso Mbatha said the illiterate councillors "don't understand local government issues", admitting the illiteracy rate in municipalities greatly contributed to poor service delivery.A number of councillors were not comfortable in conducting business or being trained in English."Some councillors are not comfortable in doing business in languages that are not their mother-tongues."But they keep quiet because they are embarrassed."This study has helped us a lot, together with the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) and the department of provincial and local government in terms of service delivery," said Mbatha."We need to take this (illiteracy) into consideration when we improve capacity for councillors, for them to understand what government is trying to do when it comes to service delivery."He defended the appalling literacy rate of councillors and pointed to the country's historical political system."We need to understand where we come from, because some of our councillors were in the struggle and did not have a chance to go to school. Their political parties have deployed them to municipalities."Not only councillors have problems, but also appointed officials."Mbatha said R32-million had been approved to train councillors and register some for ABET classes.Professor Enslin van Rooyen, an expert on local government at the University of Pretoria's School of Public Management and Administration, said the situation had dire consequences for municipalities."The practical implications are that if so many of them do not have proper reading and writing skills, then we can assume that councils end up approving budgets they can't interpret," he added. - Pretoria News
Posted by Africannabis at 8:44 AM
Labels: Migration, Service Delivery, WC Housing