Dlamini-Zuma urges rural KZN communities to drive economic development
The Department of Cooperative Governance has appealed to rural community leaders to drive economic development to help preserve food security at a local level.
Addressing a local government Indaba in Durban on Tuesday, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that sustained economic growth is important for KZN's rural towns.
She urged community leaders to back this plan to, among other things, keep costs affordable for residents, protect their food supplies and bring down crime levels.
"We don't have to wait for investors to come from across the seas. We must identify what we have and use what we have as a start."
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Meanwhile, Premier Sihle Zikalala said the KZN Cooperative Governance Department has been tasked with conducting skill audits in all municipalities.
"We want to ensure that all municipalities have relevant skills, but not only relevant skills, relevant skills together with experience and a track record of implementation, because we don't need people to occupy offices simply because they qualify.
"We need people who will be in positions of authority to ensure the execution of the service delivery plan."
He's says he's disappointed that three municipalities recently received adverse audit opinions from the Auditor-General.
"These have been municipalities that we have been trying to assist, but some of them have been resisting the support that we have been giving, but they are not improving."
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