To Develop COmmunities and Provide for Economic Growth in the Area

Municipalities must be serious about their responsibility to provide services to meet the basic needs of the poor in the most cost-effective and affordable way. They should do this in the following ways:

• Consult communities about services, affordability of service fees and service levels
• Provide effective relief for the poor, for example, a specific allocation of free water and electricity to people who don’t have access to these services or who are unable to pay for them, and an indigent policy for people who are too poor to pay for additional services they need.
• Set up partnerships with the community, local business and organisations to develop and improve the conditions people live under
• Work in partnership with local business to improve economic development job creation and investment in the area.

Co-Ordinate the Different Sectors Involved in Development of the Area

There are many different sectors involved in the development of an area, for example, national and provincial departments are all involved in some way in establishing and maintaining health clinics, schools, etc. There are also parastatals (partly government, partly private) like Eskom and Transnet, trade unions, businesses and non-government organisations that play a role in developing an area. The municipality must take responsibility for co-ordinating all their activities for the benefit of the whole community.

Encourage Participation in Decision-Making Processes

Local councillors should make sure that the broader community is involved in the decision-making processes. They can do this through the ward committees and community consultation.

Learn About New Ways to Encourage Community Development and Lead the Community

People around the world are always thinking of new and better ways to build communities. For example, there are new ideas on how to create jobs, protect the environment, save water, do away with poverty, and so on. Local government leaders need to know about these changes and build these into their policies.