Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Planning

The service-delivery backlogs, as reported by the municipalities (refer to the attached spreadsheet) , are listed below per category:

1. Ninety percent (90%) of the municipalities that responded experienced backlogs in road maintenance due to the lockdown period.

Despite the above, main roads outside the urban edge, are well maintained and in an excellent condition.  However, there are room for improvement, in respect of secondary paved and gravel roads in the rural areas outside the urban edge.    

Within the urban edge, pavement management systems have been implemented, which pointed to service delivery backlogs in high density urban areas as well as in the central business districts of some of our older towns.  The main transport arteries within the urban edges, upon which the economy depends, are in a good condition, with service delivery backlogs in the process of being addressed. 

2. Eighty percent (80%) of the responding municipalities related to the category illegal dumping, experienced backlogs in addressing illegal dumping that occurred during the lockdown period.

Illegal dumping remains a challenge, especially on the fringes of high-density urban areas but remains under control in the Province as a whole. 

3. Refuse collection was largely unaffected by the National Lockdown, as the refuse collection teams continued to operate as an essential service.  Limited service backlogs existed during the lockdown in this sector but have been addressed.
4. Eighty percent (80%) of the municipalities that responded to this category, experienced backlogs in the maintenance of municipal properties as a result of the lockdown.  Backlogs were mainly in respect of non-essential maintenance and the effects were negligible on service delivery to the public.
5. Seventy five percent (75%) of the responding municipalities in this category are experiencing backlogs in the processing of transactions. The effects of the backlogs in respect of service delivery to the public were however negligible. 

9(b)    

1. Forty-five percent (45%) of the municipalities have been able to address the backlogs in road maintenance and fifty-five percent (55%) of the municipalities reported that they are in the process of doing so. 

Road maintenance backlogs, experienced as a result of the lockdown, have largely been resolved, or in the process of being resolved.   Targeted interventions are implemented where so required, with municipalities granting permission for teams to work during weekends and prioritising high impacted areas. 

It is important to note that the rate at which roads were affected during the lockdown, will decrease naturally as the Western Cape moves into the drier, summer season. This will allow the municipalities to utilize spare capacity to address any urgent work that may be required. 

2. Sixty percent (60%) of the respondent municipalities have addressed the illegal dumping, which occurred during the lockdown. The remaining forty percent (40%) of the municipalities is in the process of addressing the backlogs.

Targeted interventions are implemented as and when required.  It remains an ongoing challenge to keep this under control.  For this reason, a system of co-ordination meetings across the province have been introduced, with very good results coming from this.

3. Refuse collection was largely unaffected by the National Lockdown, as the refuse collection teams continued to operate as an essential service.  Limited service backlogs existed during the lockdown in this sector but have been addressed.
4. The backlog of the maintenance of municipal buildings was mostly addressed after lockdown (seventy percent (70%), or in the process of being addressed.
5. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the respondent municipalities reported that all backlogs in the processing of transactions experienced during the lockdown have been alleviated, with the remainder in the process of being addressed.

9(c)         My Department adopted the Hotspot approach, which were rolled out in line with the Joint District Management Model, whereby my Department reported on a weekly basis to Cabinet on the status of service delivery in the Province.

                 In respect of service delivery, a special work group has been established to manage waste collection to ensure that contaminated COVID-19 waste was removed, transported and disposed of in accordance with international best practice, ensuring that risk to employees and affected communities were minimized.

                 Emergency work proceeded as normal during the lockdown.  Scheduled maintenance was reduced because of legal restrictions as per the COVID-19 lockdown regulations, but this was addressed after restrictions were lifted through the re-prioritization of work and amendments to work schedules.

                 The effects of the lockdown on infrastructure and service delivery have been addressed or is in the process of being addressed.