By Nangamso Mabindla
27 June 2006

BUFFALO CITY launched an Intergovernmental Relations Forum on Friday, 23 June to promote co-operation between different spheres of government and between municipalities in the Amathole District.

The forum is as a result of the Intergovernmental Framework Act 2005 [PDF file], which aims to enhance service delivery and poverty alleviation as well as encourage citizen involvement in local government.

The Act also encourages improved relations between national, provincial and local governments.

Speaking at the launch in East London, Buffalo City councillor Sizwe Dikimolo said the developmental role of government could never be achieved by one sphere acting in isolation.

"Development interventions must be integrated and co-ordinated. This requires co-operative governance within and across the different spheres of government," Dikimolo told representatives from the Amathole District Municipality and other local municipalities in the district.

"We [Buffalo City] are proud to take our turn to organise and launch the forum with the eight other municipalities that make up the ADM in attendance," he added.

"Our constitutional principle of co-operative governance has been well-aired with an emphasis on the notion of interdependence of the spheres. It is our co-operation at grassroots level that needs fine-tuning and the inter-relationship between roll-out can easily be misinterpreted."

Dikimolo urged all spheres of government to play a big role in ensuring that the Act was a success.