Illiterate Councillors in South Africa

[eddie_brunette]

One in three municipal councillors cannot read or write, and more lack basic competencies to run local government finances.

Some councillors are even embarrassed to admit they do not understand English and are therefore unable to follow council proceedings or training sessions.

It is recommended that adult education becomes a priority in all municipalities.

On average, only half of local government politicians have post-matric qualifications, while only two out of 10 understand how tariffs are set or the cost implications of municipal services.

And more than two-thirds of councillors - including those who serve on mayoral committees - don't understand their roles, their responsibilities or local government legislations.




These facts are contained in a study by the SA Local Government Association (Salga).

The depressing figures have been fingered as one of the main contributors of poor municipal service delivery, but also expose the legacy of apartheid in institutions of governance.

The study - conducted since the 2006 local polls and completed late last year - evaluated 7 000 of the country's 9 300 councillors.

Salga said 32 percent of councillors required ABET training.

"Without these skills (reading and writing) they may not fully develop their abilities and optimally contribute to council activities - especially when affairs of council are driven by agendas, reports submitted and minutes.

"The 32 percent of councillors who require ABET training should receive support as a matter of priority, particularly as this report shows councillors with higher levels of education stand a better chance to serve in senior positions, such as mayoral committees."

Salga head of skills development Sifiso Mbatha said the illiterate councillors "don't understand local government issues", admitting the illiteracy rate in municipalities greatly contributed to poor service delivery.

A number of councillors were not comfortable in conducting business or being trained in English.

"Some councillors are not comfortable in doing business in languages that are not their mother-tongues.

"But they keep quiet because they are embarrassed.

"This study has helped us a lot, together with the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) and the department of provincial and local government in terms of service delivery," said Mbatha.

"We need to take this (illiteracy) into consideration when we improve capacity for councillors, for them to understand what government is trying to do when it comes to service delivery."

He defended the appalling literacy rate of councillors and pointed to the country's historical political system.

"We need to understand where we come from, because some of our councillors were in the struggle and did not have a chance to go to school. Their political parties have deployed them to municipalities.

"Not only councillors have problems, but also appointed officials."

Mbatha said R32-million had been approved to train councillors and register some for ABET classes.

Professor Enslin van Rooyen, an expert on local government at the University of Pretoria's School of Public Management and Administration, said the situation had dire consequences for municipalities.

"The practical implications are that if so many of them do not have proper reading and writing skills, then we can assume that councils end up approving budgets they can't interpret," he added.

edd

[eddie_brunette]

STATS
Here is the percentage in each province of illiterate councilors who only have a PRIMARY education:
Northern Cape: 57%
Kwazulu Natal: 44%
Western Cape: 43%
Mpumalanga: 88% (my province!)
North West: 74%
Limpopo: 67%
Gauteng: 87% (the supposedly leading province of SA!)
Free State: 50%
Eastern Cape: 45%

[Henk]

He he he... Very true mate. The former mayor of George here in the Western Cape could not even speak english. I think he also did not even finish school as well.

Eddie did you see the rivalry between Butelezi and Zuma? Butelezi said he will never go with Zuma's government and said that Zuma must stop his remarks and threads towards the white people of SA.

The Zulus have always hated the Xhosa's and this can mean that the IFP will rather scar them selfs with other party's in the up coming election.

[eddie_brunette]

Yip I saw it. I'm just wondering: ANC Zulu's vs IFP Zulus?
Mpumlanga Borders on Natal and most Zulus here is ANC and Natal Zulus is IFP, but you right, I see daily how they hate each other. But in the words of dickead Julias Malema, I'll kill for Buthelezi

edd

[Henk]

He he he... Zuma is half Zulu and half Xhosa. If I had to vote for a black party in SA I will vote of the IFP, the Zukus is not so bad as the Xhosa's.

[Gnomey]

Isn't that about par for the course nowadays coz it seems that way. The embassy in London has had my passport for over 3 weeks for a task they said would take 10 days or so (return of £600 security deposit for Study Visa) and whenever I phone they either don't answer at all or speak complete BS (or at least very little sense).

Also saw this in the news the other day, I think if it had gone through you really would be heading the same way as Zimbabwe which is impressive considering how good everything used to be...

BBC NEWS | Africa | S Africa land reform bill shelved

[Henk]

Yup, big problems with that sh*t mate, but there are more whites in SA than there were in Zimbabwe. Will not let them get me down.

[Gnomey]

Yeah, I was wondering if that was the reason. Have they not seen the example that Zimbabwe has set and realised the consequences of the repossession of land. If it does ever happen I can see a mass exodus of those members of the population (white and black) who can afford to leave. Bet we'll see a lot more South Africans here if that is the case.

[Henk]

I will stay and not give them a inch or a mm of anything I own.

[Gnomey]

It would be good if there were more people like that but I don't think there will be.

[Henk]

I don't know either, but remember how little Boers fought the British army and they did pretty well except for the concentration camps. I will rather trust 5 people than have hundreds of people with me but I do not know who I can trust.

[Gnomey]

Yeah, there weren't many "rock spiders" compared to the "roinecks" (yes I know it is probably spelt wrong but my Afrikaans isn't great) but I don't think there are enough these days with the same mentality that they had back then (except in the middle of the Free State/KZN and parts of Mpulalanga - the farmers). From the towns and the main working people (JNB/CT/PTA etc) I could see a mass exodus of particularly white but the others leaving to find a better life else where - Europe/Australia etc

[Henk]

Ha ha ha... At least your trying mate.

Yes I must agree with you 100% there mate, but I was kept in the family history and the history of the country and the kids these days do not know where they came from and just do not give a sh*t.

[Gnomey]

True but that is getting to be the same all over. Nowadays few people care about their roots, only about the present. If more people cared about where they came from they'd have more to live for in the future...

[Henk]

Amen mate, to build a successful future you must build on the past and not just the present.