The intervention by the North West Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs to offer support and oversight functions to Municipalities and Traditional Institutions has begun to yield positive results.

This became evident recently when the department hosted its three day strategic retreat in an endeavour to enhance, revamp and synergise the acceleration of service delivery and also commit itself to put in place collective efforts to see to it that good governance and administration is instilled in the overall management of the two institutions.

Emanating from this gathering was a fully-fledged intensive program which will soon be rolled out in a form of a 100 days campaign to Municipalities and Traditional Councils.

MEC, China Dodovu introduced the Destination 2016 campaign under the theme "We can deliver with dignity and integrity" which intends to robustly focus on issues of Leadership alignment, 2014 Clean audit, Capacity building, financial viability and management including, stability and governance in both spheres.

MEC Dodovu, said expectations are that the programme should bring about visible and tangible changes in the history of local government and traditional affairs. "It is time that we turn around local government and traditional affairs in the North West Province for the sake of our communities.

"Our commitment as public servants begins today, we cannot continue to have unflinching commitments and subject ourselves to failure, It is high time that we remove all flawed practices and begin to shape to a better direction and I implore upon each and every one of us here to build and ensure good partnership, collectivity, leadership and authority so that this program becomes a success towards the achievement of our vision.

We must be able to look back during our monitoring and evaluation exercise, to appreciate and keep track of the impact that we would have made", "We have a team that has been revived from the retreat and it is determined to ensure change in the department. I have no doubt in my mind that my department will be able to discharge this enormous exercise to the best of its ability to achieve its objectives and deliver beyond expectation" he concluded.

Issued by: North West Local Government and Traditional Affairs