SALGA Northern Cape is a provincial structure of SALGA which is run by management and the executive committee. The Provincial Executive Officer (PEO) serves as the head of administration for the office. The purpose of the Office of the PEO is to lead and manage the Northern Cape Provincial Office so that an effective service is provided within the SALGA Mandate to local government in the province whilst their specific needs and requirements are understood and represented at National level. It is also responsible for the execution of SALGA’s mandate in the entire Northern Cape Province.

The ultimate authority of the province resides in its Provincial Conference with the Provincial Executive Committee providing political leadership. The province is divided of 5 districts municipalities which are comprised of 27 local municipalities which are served by SALGA Northern Cape.

Northern Cape is one of the 3 provinces the Cape Province was subdivided into in 1994 and it’s also the largest province in South Africa although sparsely populated. The capital being the ‘Diamond City’ of Kimberley. Northern Cape share boundaries with Free State, North West, Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces, and international borders with Botswana and Namibia.

Northern Cape is rich in minerals. The country’s chief diamond pipes are found in the Kimberley district. Between Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, alluvial diamonds are extracted from the beaches and sea. The Sishen Mine near Kathu is the biggest source of iron ore in South Africa, and the copper mine at Okiep is one of the oldest in the country.Copper is also mined at Springbok and Aggenys. The province is also rich in asbestos, manganese, fluorspar, semi-precious stones and marbles.

Northern Cape has 32 Municipalities; 5 Districts and 27 Locals:

Districts Municipalities

• Frances Baard
  
• Pixley kaSeme
  
• Namakwa
  
• Siyanda
  
• John Taolo Gaetsewe
  

Local Municipalities

• Sol Plaatjie
  
• Phokwane
  
• Dikgatlong
  
• Magareng
  
• Emthanjeni
  
• Kareeberg
  
• Renosterberg
  
• Thembelihle
  
• Siyancuma
  
• Siyathemba
  
• Ubuntu
  
• Umsobomvu
  
• Richtersveld
  
• Nama Khoi
  
• Kamiesberg
  
• Hantam
  
• Karoo
  
• Khai – Ma
  
• Mier
  
• Kai Garib
  
• Khara Hais
  
• Kheis
  
• Tsantsabane
  
• Kgatelopele
  
• Ga-segonyana
  
• Moshaweng
  
• Gamagara
  

Northern Cape Highlights

Land Use Management

• During May 2009 SALGA N/C in partnerships with the Department of Land Affairs conducted a successful workshop attended by twenty two (22) municipalities. The workshop guided municipalities on the development of municipal land use management plans.
  

Promotion of Alternative Energy Sources

• Informed by Millennium Development Goals targets and ESKOM power generation challenges SALGA NC (through Richtersveldt PEC Lekgotla) workshoped 28 municipalities on Climate Change and also guided municipalities on alternative energy sources using the Sol Plaatjie municipality as best practice.
  

Job Evaluation

• Job scopes for 31 municipalities in the province have been both evaluated and benchmarked by the Provincial Job Evaluation Committee (PJEC).
  

Capacity Building

• 95 Councilors/officials participating in ELMDP.
  
• 8 Participants in LODLOG training programme.
  

Disaster Management

• In 2008/09 SALGA N/C conducted a provincial workshop for all 32 municipalities to guiding to comply with the Disaster Management Act. For the year under review based on requests received SALGA N/C facilitated support from the Frances Baard District Municipality to assist the Tsantsabane Local Municipality with in-house technical capacity to assessment towards establishment of Disaster –Fire and Emergency Unit.
  

Gender, Youth, People with Disability, Elderly and Children

• Through the working group SALGA N/C workshoped municipalities on the establishment institutional capacity of both the Youth Development Unit and Gender Machinery. Currently SALGA N/C is engaging provincial stakeholders on the best implementation modalities per municipality based on varying capacities, geographic distances and provincial and district support frameworks in place.
  

IDPs

• Based on the 2009/10 IDP Analysis Report released by provincial Department of Corporative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), the SALGA N/C PEC informed by our limited internal financial and technical capacity resolved that hands on support on credible IDP development be given to Dikgatlong, Kai Ma! , and Magareng local municipalities. To date all affected municipalities have been informed and the only municipality remaining to accept the support is Dikgatlong LM.
  

District Economic Development Agencies

• Conducted an assessment on the institutional capacity of district municipalities to mainstream local economic development.
  

Municipal Finance

• 25-26 May 10: 16 municipalities through provincial workshop were guided to review annual financial statements to develop audit improvement plans.
• 3rd July 2010: provided hands on support to Khai Ma local municipality on audit improvement plan.
  
• Currently supporting Namakwa district municipalities to establish shared service Audit Committee and Internal Audit Unit, to date we have received letters of commitment to contribute R250 000 to the district municipalities from Ricthersveldt and Namakhoi municipalities.
  
• Successfully co-ordinated the two quarterly DAFF meetings during 4th – 8th May, and September –October 2009 respectively.
  

Ward Committees

• Facilitated training program for wards committee in the Pixley Ka Seme and Frances Baard District Municipal Areas.
  
• Formed part of Project Steering Committee to roll-out Ward Committee training program to benefit more that 250 ward committee members.