It’s time for robust action, Minister tells Africities
30 November 2015
The seventh edition of the Africities Summit got off to a great start at the Sandton Convention Centre yesterday (Sunday November 29), with political leaders calling for a paradigm shift in how local governments tackled development programmes to improve the quality of life of their citizens, particularly the “restless” youth population and the rapidly growing middle class.
Several speakers emphasised the importance of empowering citizens. Strong local government leadership, political will and accountability would also help local governments to deal with challenges, they argued.
Addressing more than 5 000 delegates from across Africa and beyond during the summit’s opening ceremony, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau called on local government leaders “to collectively harness opportunities to ensure that as local governments we are able to collaborate, robustly engage and actively seek African solutions to African problems”.
In attendance were, among other high-profile leaders, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs Dr Aisha Abdullahi, UCLG-Africa President Khalifa Sall, UCLG-Africa Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Paris Deputy Mayor Joseph Roig and South African Local Government Association President Thabo Manyoni.
Noting that 2015 had been an important year for municipalities across Africa, Mayor Tau said local government was “the indispensable vehicle through which our socio-political and developmental agenda is driven”. He said the commitments made at the financing summit in Addis Ababa and the adoption this year of 11 Sustainable Development Goals focusing on cities underscored the critical role played by local government.
“This summit should enhance our role by strengthening the capacity of organised local government to formulate developmental policy for Africa,” he said.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Africa with the People: Africa’s Local Government Contribution to the Africa Vision 2063”, the five-day summit is an opportunity “to promote, protect and act as a catalyst” for decentralisation, local governance and local development in Africa, according to Mayor Tau.
“It is our collective responsibility as organised local government to mobilise all national governments on the continent to ratify [the AU Charter]. This will serve as a basis for a strong and capable sphere of local government in Africa,” he said.
He said African cities must build strong local government associations committed to citizen participation, transformative development, good governance and unity. Minister Radebe said the AU’s Agenda 2063, parts of which South Africa had incorporated into its National Development Plan (NDP), was the blueprint all countries should follow because it prioritised development.
The Minister urged delegates “to ensure that we come out with robust responses to the many challenges we face”.
Radebe added that policy changes were needed to guide development programmes to embrace a growing and restless youth population and the middle class. Councillor Manyoni, who is also President of the UCLGA-Southern Africa Region, called on local governments to implement sustainable development programmes to benefit all citizens.
He said the summit was an opportunity to address rapid urbanisation, rural development, youth unemployment, poverty and climate change. Unity and an integrated approach would help resolve these challenges.
Dr Abdullahi said as part of Agenda 2063, the AU was considering the introduction of a continental passport to enable free movement and increased trade. Other priority initiatives included projects in energy, roads and the empowerment of women and the youth. Sall said Africities 7 would “showcase, consolidate and strengthen” African local government unity towards the fulfilment of Agenda 2063.
“There is great hope out of this event – development at local level. We’ve to think globally and act locally. We cannot do this without the support of national governments, though. They have to trust cities to do this,” he said
The summit runs until Thursday November 3.