South African Partnership

Implemented in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Building Inclusive Green Municipalities initiative bolsters ongoing efforts to stimulate local economies and modernize infrastructure.

"Through this initiative, Canada and Canadian municipalities are partnering to support South African communities to build more inclusive and greener communities. Local grassroots groups that put the interests of their communities first, especially women and girls, are key players in tackling inequalities and reducing poverty," said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie.  

After 22 years of democracy, South Africa continues to seek pathways to more inclusive growth and sustainable development. Despite sustained economic growth, inequality remains an important challenge.  In a country that is now 70 percent urbanized, South African municipalities are at the heart of the policy and implementation response to national challenges.

The following is taken from the Mbizana municipal website:

Mbizana is made up of a main town and surrounding villages, located in the Eastern Cape Province on the R61 road connecting KwaZulu Natal South Coastal Boundary to the N2 highway.

With a population of approximately 246,516 living in 46,730 households occupying an area of roughly 2,806 sq km, Mbizana prides itself on cultural diversity which includes a variety of tribes such as Xhosa's, Mpondo's, Sotho's and Nguni's. However, the population is dominated by the Mpondo tribe, which has its own unique dialect, isiMpondo a soft mixture of isiXhosa and isiZulu. A female-dominated society, as men only account for 46 percent of the population, the municipality makes efforts to integrate and incorporate women in key decision-making roles within the institution, to reflect this demographic.

The majority of households in Mbizana are of a rural nature, as close to 95 percent of the population resides in the surrounding villages, with the rest living in the urban area. This results in natural resources proving a strong base for basic survival as those living in rural areas turn to subsistence farming for their livelihoods.

Unemployment is a crisis throughout South Africa, and Mbizana still remains affected as a large portion of the population is still struggling to secure formal employment.

Mbizana Local Municipality is currently made up of 31 wards and is one of the local municipalities under Alfred Nzo District Municipality.

For more information, see the Mbizana website.

• The planning and execution of a comprehensive organizational review of the financial, operational, and human resource elements of the Municipality of Mbizana, with a specific focus on institutional capacity as it relates to economic development for youth, women, and other vulnerable groups;
• The creation of a locally-operated business incubator that will help improve local economic development opportunities for the people of Mbizana while also enhancing the professional competences of the municipality;
• The development, refining, and deployment of a Rural Economic Development (RED) Hub in which selected residents (youth, women, and marginalized community members) of Mbizana will hone their business skills with the intention of creating and growing commerce and a development model that can be replicated and deployed on an ongoing basis in Mbizana and throughout South Africa.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is the national voice of municipal government, representing 90 percent of Canada's municipal population.

FCM has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. Members include Canada's largest cities, small urban and rural communities, and 20 provincial and territorial municipal associations.

Municipal leaders from all parts of Canada assemble annually to establish FCM policy on key issues.

FCM celebrated its 76th anniversary in 2013, but it was in 1901 that the first national meeting of municipal leaders was held. The first political initiative of the Union of Canadian Municipalities (UCM) was to convince the federal government to create legislation that would give communities more control over the actions of utility companies within their boundaries.

Today, FCM carries on the tradition of actively advocating to have the needs of municipalities - and their citizens - reflected in federal policies and programs. Year after year, FCM's work has benefitted each and every municipal government and taxpayer in Canada.