SALGA annual report 2016/17 SALGA ANNUAL REPORT 201617 PRINTED FINAL | Page 12

Chief Executive Officer’s overview The following performance areas over the past year stand out: • • • • • • Preparation for and follow-up to the local government elections. Of great importance was our lobbying for a once- off ex gratia payment from the national fiscus to retiring councillors, to assist them in their post-public service integration into society; The continued implementation of key support programmes, including the municipal audit support programme (MASP), the small town regeneration (STR) programme, the leadership in municipal government (LMG) training programme, and the integrated councillor and senior management induction programmes; The lobbying work of our parliamentary office is invaluable in bringing local government issues to the fore and in making concrete amendments and additions to legislation; The finalisation and signing of a local government service charter, a commitment between SALGA, IMATU and SAMWU; The establishment of the municipal leadership competency assessment centre (MLCAC); The ongoing work of SALGA’s local government knowledge hub that is building an important body of institutional knowledge for the local government sector; and • Various partnerships with international organisations as diverse as the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the Dutch embassy, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and UN Women. Various other partnerships with South African organisations have also been activated. We are grateful for the cooperation and support that we receive from national and provincial departments of government, with particular mention of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the National Treasury. The assistance of various portfolio committees in both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces is hugely valuable to our work. To all our stakeholders, your support is of great importance to us and we thank you. The members of SALGA’s national and provincial executive committees – both immediate past and newly-elected – are loyal and hardworking and we are indebted to them. Finally, a word of thanks to our dedicated staff, without whose efforts, none of our achievements would be possible. Xolile George Chief Executive Officer: SALGA 31 July 2017 12