The provincial government has initiated a ground-breaking partnership with the Eastern and Northern Cape in an effort to ratchet-up service delivery and stem the tide of migration into the Western Cape from the two impoverished provinces.
Called the Governance Summer School, the project was initiated by the Western Cape Local Government and Housing Department.
Over five days this week, MECs of local government from the three provinces and senior managers in these departments will meet in Somerset West to discuss challenges facing service delivery and that influence migration.
Local Government MEC Richard Dyantyi said the project was inspired by a need for the three provinces to share experiences that would lead to increased economic development and better service delivery.
"It has become quite clear that unless we sit down as the three provinces to unpack issues of joint concern... we will not be able to deal with the challenges of migration, service delivery and good governance," he added.
According to Statistics South Africa, the Western Cape's population has grown from 4.5 million in 2001 to 5.3 million at the end of last year. The population increase has mainly been attributed to migration from the less affluent Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.
Reasons for the increase in migratory movements vary from a need for better economic opportunities, to that of households sending their children to the Western Cape because it is perceived to possess a superior resourced schooling system.
The unexpected population increase is blamed for creating an unmanageable housing backlog and overcrowded classrooms in the Western Cape.
Dyantyi's department estimates that 54 percent of new migrants to the province hail from the Eastern Cape, while 10 percent came from the Northern Cape.
The University of Stellenbosch business school last year estimated that Western Cape-based migrants contributed between R100-million and R200-million to the economy of the Eastern Cape during the December festive period.
Dyantyi has however cautioned that building a "Chinese Wall" around the Western Cape will not solve the province's migration woes. He hopes the Governance Summer School will be the beginning of a process that will build the capacity for service delivery among civil servants in the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.
"The summer school offers the opportunity to groom leadership. When you have leadership you are able to utilise your resources effectively," he said.
It is envisaged that the summer school would be an annual event. The Cape Town workshop began on Monday and ends on Friday.
Thoko Xasa, the Eastern Cape Local Government MEC, has welcomed the summer initiative as long overdue.
"In our estimation it provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with a number of issues that have confronted all of us as we deliver services to our communities.
"We share common borders, which would suggest that we also share common challenges," she said. "One of these challenges is to deal with the issue of migration across our respective borders." - Cape Argus
Called the Governance Summer School, the project was initiated by the Western Cape Local Government and Housing Department.
Over five days this week, MECs of local government from the three provinces and senior managers in these departments will meet in Somerset West to discuss challenges facing service delivery and that influence migration.
Local Government MEC Richard Dyantyi said the project was inspired by a need for the three provinces to share experiences that would lead to increased economic development and better service delivery.
"It has become quite clear that unless we sit down as the three provinces to unpack issues of joint concern... we will not be able to deal with the challenges of migration, service delivery and good governance," he added.
According to Statistics South Africa, the Western Cape's population has grown from 4.5 million in 2001 to 5.3 million at the end of last year. The population increase has mainly been attributed to migration from the less affluent Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.
Reasons for the increase in migratory movements vary from a need for better economic opportunities, to that of households sending their children to the Western Cape because it is perceived to possess a superior resourced schooling system.
The unexpected population increase is blamed for creating an unmanageable housing backlog and overcrowded classrooms in the Western Cape.
Dyantyi's department estimates that 54 percent of new migrants to the province hail from the Eastern Cape, while 10 percent came from the Northern Cape.
The University of Stellenbosch business school last year estimated that Western Cape-based migrants contributed between R100-million and R200-million to the economy of the Eastern Cape during the December festive period.
Dyantyi has however cautioned that building a "Chinese Wall" around the Western Cape will not solve the province's migration woes. He hopes the Governance Summer School will be the beginning of a process that will build the capacity for service delivery among civil servants in the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.
"The summer school offers the opportunity to groom leadership. When you have leadership you are able to utilise your resources effectively," he said.
It is envisaged that the summer school would be an annual event. The Cape Town workshop began on Monday and ends on Friday.
Thoko Xasa, the Eastern Cape Local Government MEC, has welcomed the summer initiative as long overdue.
"In our estimation it provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with a number of issues that have confronted all of us as we deliver services to our communities.
"We share common borders, which would suggest that we also share common challenges," she said. "One of these challenges is to deal with the issue of migration across our respective borders." - Cape Argus
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