Deputy Minister Thembisile Nkadimeng participates in Commonwealth Local Government Forum, 3 May

Deputy Minister Nkadimeng participates in the Commonwealth Local Government Forum looking into the role of Local Government Post Covid-19 Socio-Economic Recovery

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), in partnership with the Department of Cooperative Governance in South Africa (DCoG) and the South Africa Local Government Association (SALGA), will host a hybrid two and half days (3 – 6 May 2022) Regional Conference to facilitate dialogue and peer learning on the role of local government in Post Covid response.

The Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Ms Thembisile Nkadimeng will deliver the Keynote Address on Day 1 and participate in session 6 of the programme. The event is part of CLGF’s wider work on the EU funded project: Empowering Local Authorities in Partner Countries for Enhanced Governance and more Effective Development Outcomes. The CLGF will be led by its Chairperson, Rev Mpho MW Moruakgomo and SALGA President Cllr Bheke Stofile.

The regional conference will be hosted under the theme: “The role of local government in the post-COVID 19 socio-economic recovery’. The conference will deliberate on the importance of multi-level coordination especially the need for closer coordination and collaboration between local governments and other spheres of government, among local governments themselves, and the private sector communities.

In line with the District Development Model (DDM) principles adopted by the South African government in 2019, improved collaboration and coordination mitigates the risk of fragmented crisis response—further, the importance of cooperation across municipalities and regions minimises disjointed responses and competition for resources. Additionally, cross border cooperation has also been highlighted as key in fighting the pandemic and other developmental issues.

The Conference will draw from the lessons learnt in implementing the CLGF regional programme, explore the role of local government in Post COVID recovery, and agree on key priorities for future programming and strategies for resource mobilisation, as well as reflect on regional collaboration with SADC.

Source: Government of South Africa