SALGA annual report 2016/17 SALGA ANNUAL REPORT 201617 PRINTED FINAL | Page 133

Performance information African municipalities that are part of the small town regeneration programme, as well as ministers and mayors from the SADC region. The conference took stock of how far LED practice has evolved over the last few years and how local authorities in the region should approach social and economic development in the context of localising sustainable development goals (SDGs). It is thus likely to have a significant bearing on future Commonwealth local government forum (CLGF) led programmes and to influence the localisation of SDGs in the region and elsewhere. SALGA prepared the background paper for the conference, entitled “Igniting sustainable and people centred socio-economic development in sub-Saharan Africa”. in our neighbouring countries, which has several and direct consequences for the South African economy and our municipalities. Stronger local government and their representative associations is thus of strategic interest to South Africa as a whole, and SALGA in particular. In collaboration with municipal institute of learning (MILE), SALGA supported Namibian municipalities through the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) and the municipal managers’ formation (NALAO) with conducting a knowledge management workshop, from 19-21 April 2016 in Swakopmund, Namibia. The workshop served to share lessons and assisted in developing Namibian local capacity to build knowledge management systems within their municipalities. In so doing, SALGA profiled several South African municipalities’ good practices which could be utilised by the Namibian counterparts, thus contributing to building a stronger network of knowledge management capability in the south. SALGA and Mozambican Local Government Association SALGA supported the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA) with hosting its LED conference on 17-18 August 2016 by facilitating key sessions in the programme. This was part of a process to consolidate collaboration which was eventually effected through the signing of an MoU at the SALGA national conference held in Johannesburg from 28 January to 2 December 2016. International Programmes and Partnerships SALGA has established several partnership to facilitate service delivery in municipalities and ensure there is a range of support in the implementation of SALGA programmes. Some of the partnerships concluded in this financial year are: European Union SALGA, Mile and Nalao delegation at the local knowledge management for local leadership SALGA conducted capacity building workshops with the Swaziland Local Government Association (SWALGA) from 16-17 June 2016 and the Mozambican Local Government Association (ANAMM) on 30 June 2016 to strengthen decentralisation and the role of local government in the SADC region. This aims to contribute to more stable social and economic development 133 SALGA is currently implementing a three-year “Strengthening governance and capacity in local government” programme funded by the European Union to the value of R7 875 000. The programme commenced implementation in 2016 and aims to strengthen SALGA’s capacity to support member municipalities and improve local government’s performance in the area of service delivery and good governance, technology and innovation. The project aims to improve and strengthen local government aimed at delivering excellent service. SALGA ANNUAL REPORT 2016/17