The role of the LGBN in ensuring Sustainable Local Government and Business partnerships for better Service Delivery and Local Economic Development

Every municipality in South Africa is faced with the challenge of delivering services in such a way as to promote the development of sustainable communities and local economies. The Business Sector plays a critical role by continuously working towards an environment conducive to community growth and development.

Today there is a need for accelerated delivery and local economic development, and government cannot do it alone. In many countries, business has played a major role in advancing service delivery and has contributed to raising the standard of living in various communities by engaging and partnering with local government.

LGBN is a membership organisation that provides its members and the municipalities throughout South Africa with the necessary platforms to network and share ideas with each other, and provides support and guidance to these stakeholders to be able to meet and indeed to exceed the demands placed by South Africa as a Development State. It is the business of LGBN as an independent and sustainable voluntary organisation to support organisations and companies that are interested in working with local government to meet the challenges and demands of all its stakeholders.

The LGBN is well positioned to render the kind of assistance needed to place municipalities on the road to maturity. It has the will to act together with its stakeholders to achieve the goal of the better life for all through effective and speedy delivery of service. LGBN believes that the focus needs to be on “Public Private Partnerships” and “daring and creative ways” of doing business to improve service delivery.

With the spread of LGBN’s membership countrywide, it is in a unique position to roll out business and government business networking platforms, capacity building and skills development programmes in all the provinces.

LGBN has added new benefits for its members since its inception in 2005, which include the following:

• The LGBN newsletter which comes out monthly, providing current news in provincial and local government, upcoming events and newly appointed officials.
• The LGBN Executive Retreats – This is a get-away programme design for our corporate members to network with senior and extremely busy government officials in an exclusive 5 Star location, where these senior officials are invited to relax and reflect on issues while taking their time out of their busy schedules.
• The LGBN Municipal Focus Publication – The official journal of the LGBN bringing you current news and informative articles that profile and inspire excellence in service delivery. This is a quarterly magazine to be distributed in municipalities and provincial departments, as well as CNA and Exclusive Books.
• The Municipal LED Summit and Provincial Breakfast meetings – Providing a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, knowledge best practices and products for service excellence and maximum local government performance.

THE GREATEST START OF 2012