What makes a good mayor? What makes a good municipality? For me, it is our ability to meet our constitutional obligations to serve the people of Thembisile Hani local municipality by providing services that are enduring and of a high quality — and able to impact our landscape positively.
I would also define success on our part as when the poorest and most vulnerable among us are not only able to survive but live happily within this municipal region. But to attain this, I realised that we needed to do things differently than before.
When we took over this administration, we decided to change the way things are done institutionally. We felt that our vision would go unfulfilled unless we were able to effectively create institutional capacity.
We also reconfigured our internal systems so that our control environment is not managed by attitudes or individuals, but by reliable and robust technology-based solutions that can deliver consistent results, regardless of staff turnover.
However, to do this, we engaged the services of a municipal financial management software solution provider that offers integrated financial management and internal control systems for local government.
Increasingly, municipalities are undertaking digital transformation initiatives and I suspect that we are on the cusp of seeing a series of trends and innovations that will push further digitisation and data-driven engagement between municipalities and their stakeholders across South Africa.
Software solutions tailored for local government are powerful tools that can ensure better service delivery and improving efficiency while optimising resources and effectively managing finances.
Clean governance
Aside from the service delivery aspect, as a municipality we are also working hard towards achieving clean governance, where everything is done according to the rules, there is transparency, and everyone can see what we – as local government – are trying to do. We need to adapt to that kind of system.
As we know, data-driven engagements in municipalities provide valuable insights into public sentiments, service usage and community needs. By analysing these, municipalities can formulate policies that better align with the aspirations of the diverse population. Many notable examples demonstrate the positive impact of technology-driven engagement on municipal governance and community participation.
Crucially, municipalities must also strive towards achieving a clean audit, which is a measure to gauge our internal systems and controls. A clean audit is the biggest achievement that speaks to efficiency, transparency and accountability.
A clean audit is key to building trust and confidence in local government, especially at a time when one of the biggest challenges faced by municipalities is revenue collection. Over time, a perception has formed that government employees and representatives are squandering and mismanaging money. This is a perception that must be tackled not with words, but with actions.
Hence, smart financial systems play a significant role in enhancing municipal engagement with stakeholders and also bring a host of benefits in terms of financial transparency and accountability. These are the first steps towards achieving a clean audit, so municipalities need to consider deploying a top-of-the-line financial management system and revenue management tool.
Smart financial systems in municipalities enhance transparency by providing real-time financial reporting and ensuring compliance. These solutions give real-time financial ratios, enabling executives to – at the click of a button – give all stakeholders feedback regarding the financial performance of the municipality.
Longer term, we need to look at financial sustainability, where we will be engaging with our citizens to ensure that they pay for municipal services. For that to happen, a certain level of confidence must be added to the mix.
Looking ahead, I expect the digital transformation trend within municipalities to continue, including the growing use of mobile technology to connect with citizens, the adoption of smart city initiatives aimed at improving urban living standards and the strategic deployment of data analytics for proactive and effective problem solving.
- Lesetja Dikgale is executive mayor of the Thembisile Hani local municipality
- Thembisile Hani local municipality is a client of Munsoft, the homegrown leader in the development, deployment and maintenance of municipal financial management software in South Africa
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