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The Municipality’s Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) is its long-term plan to ensure sustainable delivery of services, deal with social and economic development, involve residents in local government and promote a safe and healthy environment.
It encompasses the ideas expressed in all other municipal strategies, and takes into account the province’s GDS, the National Spatial Development Perspective, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgisa) and the strategies of surrounding municipalities, particularly in Mpumalanga.
It encompasses the ideas expressed in all other municipal strategies, and takes into account the province’s GDS, the National Spatial Development Perspective, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgisa) and the strategies of surrounding municipalities, particularly in Mpumalanga.
On the 13 January 2017, during the Mayoral Academic Awards held at the Banquet Hall of Nkangala District Municipality, it was announced that a new project will be launched.
A project that will benefit the lives of all disadvantaged school going children of the Nkangala District.
Councillor Linah Malatjie, Executive Mayor of the Nkangala District made the announcement that “no learner shall be barred from going to school because he or she does not have shoes or a uniform”.
The One Million School shoes project, over the next 5 years was launched and undoubtedly this warmed the heart everyone sitting at the Awards ceremony.
As human beings, we all yearn for a purpose and a reason to exist. Corporate giving provides employees with an opportunity to champion a cause for positive change and give back to their communities.
Such an initiative received great praise from The Department of Education as well as Eskom Kusile Power Station. It ignited a fire within these co operations to involve themselves in this project by giving back more.
Not only has approximately 1200 school shoes been donated to learners from 6 Municipalities in the Nkangala District Area but uniform and dignitary packs have been donated as well.
The additional uniform packages that have been sponsored by Eskom Kusile Power includes the following items:
5 new school shirts for each day of the week
– 3 new school trousers
– 1 new school tunic
– 1 new jersey and pull over jersey
– 3 new school skirts for girls
– 2 new pairs of school socks
– The dignitary packs for female students include the following:
– Sanitary pads
– A hair comb
– A face cloth
– Body lotion
– Body cleansing soap
– A Tube toothpaste
This campaign kick started on the 14 January 2017 and has achieved great success. Not only will these packages provide learners will their basic needs but also provide dignity and build confidence within those learners.
According to the thriving small business website, many successful organizations understand the importance of giving back to the communities in which they operate.
People will consume products and services from businesses that they see supporting their community. These efforts send subtle, yet positive messages about the businesses’ interest in giving back by supporting a local event or charity.
A project that will benefit the lives of all disadvantaged school going children of the Nkangala District.
Councillor Linah Malatjie, Executive Mayor of the Nkangala District made the announcement that “no learner shall be barred from going to school because he or she does not have shoes or a uniform”.
The One Million School shoes project, over the next 5 years was launched and undoubtedly this warmed the heart everyone sitting at the Awards ceremony.
As human beings, we all yearn for a purpose and a reason to exist. Corporate giving provides employees with an opportunity to champion a cause for positive change and give back to their communities.
Such an initiative received great praise from The Department of Education as well as Eskom Kusile Power Station. It ignited a fire within these co operations to involve themselves in this project by giving back more.
Not only has approximately 1200 school shoes been donated to learners from 6 Municipalities in the Nkangala District Area but uniform and dignitary packs have been donated as well.
The additional uniform packages that have been sponsored by Eskom Kusile Power includes the following items:
5 new school shirts for each day of the week
– 3 new school trousers
– 1 new school tunic
– 1 new jersey and pull over jersey
– 3 new school skirts for girls
– 2 new pairs of school socks
– The dignitary packs for female students include the following:
– Sanitary pads
– A hair comb
– A face cloth
– Body lotion
– Body cleansing soap
– A Tube toothpaste
This campaign kick started on the 14 January 2017 and has achieved great success. Not only will these packages provide learners will their basic needs but also provide dignity and build confidence within those learners.
According to the thriving small business website, many successful organizations understand the importance of giving back to the communities in which they operate.
People will consume products and services from businesses that they see supporting their community. These efforts send subtle, yet positive messages about the businesses’ interest in giving back by supporting a local event or charity.
“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.’ Hungry not only for bread — but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing — but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks — but homeless because of rejection.”
~ Mother Teresa
– Article by Larissa Morar 23 February 2017
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BEE Codes Clear Confusion
The Codes of Good Practice clearly set out the requirements of empowerment deals and explain in more detail the empowerment scorecard.
The muddy waters of broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) are clearing with the release of the first phase of the final Codes of Good Practice for BEE. This is expected to end uncertainty about empowerment deals, and boost economic growth.
Released early last month by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), this follows the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 and the department’s BEE Strategy Document. That document gave an outline of the broad-based BEE scorecard, together with weightings, but did not detail measurement principles and how the scorecard was to be applied.
Now, however, the Codes of Good Practice contain frameworks for determining BEE, including the generic scorecard, guidelines and BEE agencies, and how the different parts of the scorecard are to be measured in companies.
They also aim to ensure that empowerment benefits not only the black elite but also women, workers, youth, people with disabilities and people living in rural areas. And they strongly discourage “fronting”, or schemes that claim to be broad-based but which are found to be wanting when their composition is unpacked.
The new codes relax the regime for empowerment partners who borrow heavily to finance their stakes. In previous drafts, eight of a possible 20 points on the ownership scorecard were withheld until debt was repaid. This is now reduced to one, with seven points accruing gradually as repayments are made.
A revised point-scoring formula is included in the new codes. It encourages companies to enter into deals with groups that are not necessarily 100 percent black-owned.
The change allows a company whose empowerment is being measured to treat one 51 percent-or-more black-owned company in its corporate structure as if it was 100 percent black owned, increasing the points awarded.
In terms of the Act, “black people” are African, coloured or Indian South African citizens, and those entitled to become citizens. Once gazetted, the Codes of Good Practice will be binding on all organs of state and public entities.
In terms of the BEE Act, the government must apply the codes when entering into the following decisions: procurement, licensing and concessions, public-private partnerships, and the sale of state-owned assets or businesses. Private companies must apply the codes if they want to do business with any government enterprise or organ of state – that is, in order to tender for business, apply for licenses and concessions, enter into public-private partnerships or buy state-owned assets.
Companies are also encouraged to apply the codes in their interactions with one another because preferential procurement will effectively impinge on most private sector enterprises throughout the chain of supplier, from first-tier suppliers to the government downwards.
Also, BEE charters drawn up by the different industries will have to comply with the Codes of Good Practice if they are to be passed into law. Once passed into law, the codes will be reviewed by the minister of trade and industry after 10 years.
The 10 codes deal with the different elements of BEE, how they are to be weighted and how BEE compliance is to be regulated.
Code 000 – A framework for the measurement of BEE, including the generic BEE scorecard, which gives a general weighting to companies’ BEE status in terms of management, ownership, skills development and so on; guidelines for the development and gazetting of industry charters; and the approval, accreditation and regulation of BEE verification agencies.
Code 100 – Measuring the ownership element of the BEE scorecard, including the general BEE ownership scorecard. Code 200 – Measuring the management and control element of the scorecard. Code 300 – Measuring employment equity. Code 400 – Measuring skills development. Code 500 – Measuring preferential procurement. Code 600 – Measuring enterprise development. Code 700 – Measuring the residual element. Code 800 – Industry sector charters. Code 1000 – Measuring BEE in small enterprises. Codes 000 to 200 fall into phase one.
The drafting of phase two of the codes, dealing with the remaining five elements of the generic scorecard as well as issues such as fronting and the measurement of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), began in April. It will go through 60 days of public comment before it is finalised. Both phases will be passed into law in 2006.
Code 800, BEE industry charters, will be included in the Codes of Good Practice as and when each industry charter is passed into law, after the gazetting of phases one and two of the codes.
Direct empowerment: According to the DTI’s BEE Strategy Document, economic empowerment must include increasing black people’s ownership and control of the economy. A significant proportion of their ownership of assets and enterprises must be a controlling interest, reflecting genuine participation in decision-making and the assumption of real risk.
The emphasis on control does not detract from the role passive ownership of assets through pension and provident funds, unit trusts, and other collective investment schemes can play in BEE. But without active participation, investors have little control over the direction of investment decisions. Passive ownership of enterprises can also lead to “fronting”.
Measurement of the ownership element is set out in Code 100, while Code 200 deals with determining management and control.
Human development and employment equity: Given the apartheid legacy of systematic labour market discrimination and inferior education, accelerated skills and advanced professional skill development is important.
The measurement of how well a company complies with employment equity legislation is set out in Code 300, while the formula for determining the skills development portion is set out in Code 400.
Indirect empowerment: Preferential procurement by the state and the private sector is an effective and efficient instrument to drive BEE as it provides emerging black enterprises with opportunities to expand their output.
Criteria for the preferential procurement score are set out in Code 500. Enterprise development can involve either investment in black-owned and black-empowered enterprises, or joint ventures with black-owned and black-empowered enterprises that result in significant skills transfer. Code 600 deals with enterprise development.
The residual 10 percent on the scorecard is left to sectors and enterprises to determine. It could include infrastructural support to suppliers in the same community, labour-intensive production methods, investment in enterprises operating in poorer rural communities, and spending on workers’ housing, transport and health care. Determining the residual score is explained in Code 700.
The codes provide a standard framework for the measurement of broad-based BEE across all sectors of the economy. This means that no industry will be disadvantaged over another when presenting their BEE credentials. The intention of the Codes of Good Practice is to level the playing field for all by providing clear and comprehensive criteria for the measurement of broad-based BEE.
For more detailed information on the Codes of Good Practice, go to the Department of Trade and Industry website. The site also offers the full text of the Broad- based Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 and the department’s Black Economic Empowerment Strategy Document.
The muddy waters of broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) are clearing with the release of the first phase of the final Codes of Good Practice for BEE. This is expected to end uncertainty about empowerment deals, and boost economic growth.
Released early last month by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), this follows the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 and the department’s BEE Strategy Document. That document gave an outline of the broad-based BEE scorecard, together with weightings, but did not detail measurement principles and how the scorecard was to be applied.
Now, however, the Codes of Good Practice contain frameworks for determining BEE, including the generic scorecard, guidelines and BEE agencies, and how the different parts of the scorecard are to be measured in companies.
Overview Of The Codes
Debated since a draft was released in December 2004, the codes ensure that the days of high-profile black business people representing faceless members of “broad-based” groups in empowerment deals are numbered.They also aim to ensure that empowerment benefits not only the black elite but also women, workers, youth, people with disabilities and people living in rural areas. And they strongly discourage “fronting”, or schemes that claim to be broad-based but which are found to be wanting when their composition is unpacked.
The new codes relax the regime for empowerment partners who borrow heavily to finance their stakes. In previous drafts, eight of a possible 20 points on the ownership scorecard were withheld until debt was repaid. This is now reduced to one, with seven points accruing gradually as repayments are made.
A revised point-scoring formula is included in the new codes. It encourages companies to enter into deals with groups that are not necessarily 100 percent black-owned.
The change allows a company whose empowerment is being measured to treat one 51 percent-or-more black-owned company in its corporate structure as if it was 100 percent black owned, increasing the points awarded.
Aim Of The Codes
The codes are issued in terms of Section 9 the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003, with the aims of: transforming South Africa’s economy to allow meaningful participation by black people changing the racial profile of companies’ owners, managers and skilled professionals increasing the ownership and management of companies by black women, communities, workers, co-operatives and others, and helping them gain access to more economic opportunities promoting investment that leads to broad-based and meaningful participation in the economy by black people helping rural and local communities get access to economic opportunities, and promoting access to finance for black economic empowerment.In terms of the Act, “black people” are African, coloured or Indian South African citizens, and those entitled to become citizens. Once gazetted, the Codes of Good Practice will be binding on all organs of state and public entities.
In terms of the BEE Act, the government must apply the codes when entering into the following decisions: procurement, licensing and concessions, public-private partnerships, and the sale of state-owned assets or businesses. Private companies must apply the codes if they want to do business with any government enterprise or organ of state – that is, in order to tender for business, apply for licenses and concessions, enter into public-private partnerships or buy state-owned assets.
Companies are also encouraged to apply the codes in their interactions with one another because preferential procurement will effectively impinge on most private sector enterprises throughout the chain of supplier, from first-tier suppliers to the government downwards.
Also, BEE charters drawn up by the different industries will have to comply with the Codes of Good Practice if they are to be passed into law. Once passed into law, the codes will be reviewed by the minister of trade and industry after 10 years.
The 10 codes deal with the different elements of BEE, how they are to be weighted and how BEE compliance is to be regulated.
Code 000 – A framework for the measurement of BEE, including the generic BEE scorecard, which gives a general weighting to companies’ BEE status in terms of management, ownership, skills development and so on; guidelines for the development and gazetting of industry charters; and the approval, accreditation and regulation of BEE verification agencies.
Code 100 – Measuring the ownership element of the BEE scorecard, including the general BEE ownership scorecard. Code 200 – Measuring the management and control element of the scorecard. Code 300 – Measuring employment equity. Code 400 – Measuring skills development. Code 500 – Measuring preferential procurement. Code 600 – Measuring enterprise development. Code 700 – Measuring the residual element. Code 800 – Industry sector charters. Code 1000 – Measuring BEE in small enterprises. Codes 000 to 200 fall into phase one.
The drafting of phase two of the codes, dealing with the remaining five elements of the generic scorecard as well as issues such as fronting and the measurement of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), began in April. It will go through 60 days of public comment before it is finalised. Both phases will be passed into law in 2006.
Code 800, BEE industry charters, will be included in the Codes of Good Practice as and when each industry charter is passed into law, after the gazetting of phases one and two of the codes.
The Generic BEE Scorecard
The generic scorecard is a way to measure the BEE status of a business, giving it a score out of 100.Direct empowerment: According to the DTI’s BEE Strategy Document, economic empowerment must include increasing black people’s ownership and control of the economy. A significant proportion of their ownership of assets and enterprises must be a controlling interest, reflecting genuine participation in decision-making and the assumption of real risk.
The emphasis on control does not detract from the role passive ownership of assets through pension and provident funds, unit trusts, and other collective investment schemes can play in BEE. But without active participation, investors have little control over the direction of investment decisions. Passive ownership of enterprises can also lead to “fronting”.
Measurement of the ownership element is set out in Code 100, while Code 200 deals with determining management and control.
Human development and employment equity: Given the apartheid legacy of systematic labour market discrimination and inferior education, accelerated skills and advanced professional skill development is important.
The measurement of how well a company complies with employment equity legislation is set out in Code 300, while the formula for determining the skills development portion is set out in Code 400.
Indirect empowerment: Preferential procurement by the state and the private sector is an effective and efficient instrument to drive BEE as it provides emerging black enterprises with opportunities to expand their output.
Criteria for the preferential procurement score are set out in Code 500. Enterprise development can involve either investment in black-owned and black-empowered enterprises, or joint ventures with black-owned and black-empowered enterprises that result in significant skills transfer. Code 600 deals with enterprise development.
The residual 10 percent on the scorecard is left to sectors and enterprises to determine. It could include infrastructural support to suppliers in the same community, labour-intensive production methods, investment in enterprises operating in poorer rural communities, and spending on workers’ housing, transport and health care. Determining the residual score is explained in Code 700.
The codes provide a standard framework for the measurement of broad-based BEE across all sectors of the economy. This means that no industry will be disadvantaged over another when presenting their BEE credentials. The intention of the Codes of Good Practice is to level the playing field for all by providing clear and comprehensive criteria for the measurement of broad-based BEE.
For more detailed information on the Codes of Good Practice, go to the Department of Trade and Industry website. The site also offers the full text of the Broad- based Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 and the department’s Black Economic Empowerment Strategy Document.
Many people are familiar with the terms “qualified” or “unqualified” opinions on audits,
says Mohammed Lorgat, Project Director, Public Sector at the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). “These refer to an opinion expressed by auditors on the financial statements of entities.”
Unlike private sector audits, the AGSAs audit scope in the public sector is much broader. Besides the audit of financial statements, it also covers reporting of performance against predetermined objectives as well as compliance with laws and regulations.
Nkangala District Municipality received two consecutive clean audits from the Auditor-General( AG), these two trophies recognised efficient financial management received at the 2016 Institute of Municipal Finance Officers event held in Durban, and an Investor Summit which resulted in diversifying its economy, all augur well for this municipality of 400 000 households.
Auditor General Thembekile Makwetu congratulated the Municipality for this award. He believes that the Municipality is setting a good example and hopes that they will lead by example. Also to congratulate the Nkangala District Municipality is the Mpumalanga Cooperative Governance and Traditional MEC, Refilwe Mtsweni who stated that it took strong leadership decisions to work at the standard the Municipality did to comply with all regulations.
Cllr Malatjie, the Executive Mayor of the Nkangala District Municipality states, “This is a very important award which reflects the commitment of our councillors to good governance, service delivery and public participation. Our councillors have attended all committee and council meetings as well as caucuses – not one meeting failed as a result of not achieving a quorum.
It shows we are serious about service excellence. Clean audits are extremely important, they build confidence – in the community, amongst stakeholders and for the country at large – they mean we are going somewhere! Businesses and, external stakeholders want to invest in the district because we have demonstrated we are adhering to legislation, using resources appropriately and therefore are a good investment.”
The Municipal Manager of the Nkangala District Municipality was interviewed earlier this year by one of the top journalists in the Media Industry and this was her response to the following question asked; The Nkangala District Municipality has received clean audits over the past two years. Congratulations! What were some of the major processes and systems you, as Municipal Manager, put in place to ensure that this was achieved?
Ms Skosana replied that, “We needed to take inventory and look at the issues that were preventing us from achieving clean audits. Nkangala District Municipality had received an unqualified audit opinion for the previous eight years.
On January 8th 2017 President Jacob Zuma presented the Nkangala District Municipality with the highly prestigious ZK Matthews Award at the 105th ANC Celebrations that was held at Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg.
Nkangala also received two more awards from SALGA (South African Local Government Association) for being the best performing municipality in general as well as CIGAFRO (Chartered Institute if Government Finance, Audit and Risk Officers) for having clean audit systems in place.
The Executive Mayor states that these awards the Municipality has received means they have attained the success they have worked hard for. “It was a team effort, employees worked closely with councillors, internal and external committees who ensured that we keep our finances in good order and maintain excellent records. Nkangala District Municipality has their own internal audit team that assists us in following our prescribed year planner.
The Municipality has implemented shared services to improve their audit outcome in the entire district. The Executive Mayor is committing herself to help the other municipalities in the Nkangala District. She wishes that Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality, Emakhazeni Local Municipality and Victor Khanye Local Municipality also receive qualified audits. These Municipalities are making significant progress in management of their systems. They will be helped further to improve their Public Participation. The Nkangala District Mayor believes in a policy that all Municipalities are one and they cannot afford to have one of them limping, this will affect the entire system.
Lastly the Executive Mayor states that she aspires the Nkangala District Municipality to be one of excellence and is determined with the Municipal Manager to obtain more Clean Audits in the future.
Crime is a major risk everywhere in today’s world but there are simple, practical steps you can take as a developer or homeowner to design your surroundings to deter criminals while presenting an attractive face to the world.
For a crime to occur there must be three elements present someone willing to commit an offense, someone vulnerable to the offense and an environment that enables the offense to occur.
For a crime to occur there must be three elements present someone willing to commit an offense, someone vulnerable to the offense and an environment that enables the offense to occur.