Approach experienced in SADC

Although established in early 2008, and officially inaugurated in November 2009, the Southern Africa Regional Office of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA-SARO) became operational in February 2012 with support of the ARIAL programme. The ARIAL programme is a project contracted by the ACP Secretariat and funded by the European Union, for supporting and strengthening Local Government Associations at ACP national and regional levels.

The UCLGA-SARO members are Local Governement Associations of Botswana (BALA), Lesotho (MASERU), Malawi (MALGA), Mauritius (ADCM, AUAM), Namibia (ALAN), South Africa (SALGA), Swaziland (SWALGA), Zambia (LGAZ), Zimbabwe (ARDCZ, UCAZ). But only one country has a constitutional recognition.

According to Samuel Kaninda, a Senior officer who represented this organisation in Kribi, UCLGA-SARO is the «umbrella organisation of Local Government in Southern Africa» and its vision is to «strengthen, integrate and organise Local Government Associations in SADC’» while its mission is to «To become the recognised, representative voice for organised local government in SADC and provide a platform for capacity building and networking».

«In Southern Africa, local government is adopted as a tier/sphere of government in its own right, although decentralisation yet to be effective in some countries», M. Kaninda said. Advocacy and lobbying role, Capacity Building and Resource mobilisation of LGAs, Knowledge Sharing between LGAs and Profiling of LGAs are key mandates of UCLGA-SARO.

LG Ministers Forum

Established in 1999 with a view to promote the role of local government within the SADC program of action, the SADC Local Government Ministers Forum currently consists of fourteen member states. And its role is to promote local self-government, develop and serve as a source of data on existing as well as the latest international policy developments regarding local government, coordinate disaster management by local authorities in the SADC region, render advice with regard to training of local government councillors and officials of member states, coordinate promotion of local economic development in towns and cities of member states to facilitate job creation, facilitate the formation of organised local government structures in the SADC region and deepen the relationship between SADC countries regarding all local government matters.

The platform provided by the annual commemoration of the Africa Day of Decentralisation and Local Development can also be used by UCLGA-SARO to strengthen relations with the SADC Local Government Ministers Forum and AMCOD, and contribute meaningfully to finding lasting solutions to the development challenges facing the continent.