Johannesburg: Turning around local government to provide effective service delivery would require skilled, responsible and accountable workers, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka said yesterday.  "These must be skilled and competent cadres capable of delivering. It must be cadres who are servants of the people and who work selflessly and diligently," Mr Shiceka told delegates at the South African Local Government Association (Salga) conference in Polokwane.

The conference was organised by Salga's national executive committee to improve the management of human resources in local government. Salga is the sole employer body representing all municipalities in the country.

Mr Shiceka said making local government administration more professional had become critical to ensuring a stable and functioning system.  Local government was close to the people, and acted as the face of government, he said. "We need to engage with the matter head-on.

"Those who will be going to the national general council of the ruling party should ensure that this matter is discussed and resolved with a sense of the urgency that it deserves," he said.

The drive for skilled workers by Mr Shiceka was part of a turnaround strategy adopted by the Cabinet at the end of December as a blueprint for effective service delivery in local and national government.

Mr Shiceka said 95% of the 238 municipalities in SA had developed their own local turnaround strategies to put the new system into place. "Hard work and commitment (to the strategy) is beginning to bear fruit ... corrupt culprits are being apprehended in areas such as Madibeng municipality in the North West.

"Clean water is being improved in Balfour, Mpumalanga ... clean financial management is bearing fruit in some municipalities in the Eastern Cape. We need to keep our feet on the pedals and not relent." Sapa