Capricorn District Municipality Institutional Profile

“My goodness where does one even begin to describe the relationship that Capricorn District Municipality (CDM and Gender Links(GL) we are still forging ahead with GL all these years later, this has been one good working relationship”

Well, our journey as (CDM) with Gender Links started at the first Gender Justice and Local Government in 2010 after we had seen the application calls online. I do not think we had any idea of the process and the wonderful journey we were about to embark upon with GL”

“The council did not have a gender action plan there was a simple framework that was being used overall but it was not however gender specific and even the overall budget that is normally tabulated and adopted was not gender sensitive and geared in a way that would ensure that gender mainstreaming activities and process would be financially capacitated. The council had also not had any gender mainstreaming workshop before and GL facilitated the process, and I know that after the workshops and also the continuous support we received from GL a lot of things started to function effectively within the council.”

After the intervention from GL and with the municipality becoming part of the Centres of Excellence (COE) process a lot of things have changed within the council, one of the main things that have happened that stemmed from the relationship between GL and Capricorn Municipality was that the council budget needed to be reviewed and to make sure that it was gender sensitive. The gender action plan that was formulated was also adopted within the council and there have been allocated funds for the different components within the gender action plan.

CDM has continued being part of the COE process at the Gender Justice and Local Government Summit in 2012, CDM was awarded the overall best case- COE Winner it was an intervention that was beyond what the council required. The council has a gender champion who is the Executive Mayor and other members of the Mayoral Committee, the buy in and support of the COE process within the institution has enabled the development of the COE gender mainstreaming programme in the council.

The council has advanced and completed all ten stages of the COE process and the council has also adopted a mentoring role to the two other local councils of the council, being Aganang and Polokwane local municipality. The council has been able to advance so much with the COE process because of the institutional mechanisms that have been adopted by the council.

The council has also had to review some of our existing HR policies to ensure that there was equal representation of women across the different departments and management of the council. Human Resources policies have always been gender sensitive and gender aware. However the that the intervention from GL also emphasised the importance of how it was vital to also review these policies from time to time. Gender disaggregated data was also one thing that was never enforced in terms of data collection in the council whether it be for HR purposes or any other matters.

The council has also encouraged their local municipalities to keep gender disaggregated data the council has really made good on making sure that all departments with the council take issues of gender mainstreaming into account. From the procurement unit and the awarding of contracts to women, and also the different forms of training and learning opportunities awarded to women and men. The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) which is the document utilised by the council to map out the planned council implementation process has also become more gender sensitive. The IDP process consultations normally take form in the intervention of public consultations, and women have been encouraged to attend these consultations. The council budget has drastically also been revised, with the Social Development Department which spear heads issues of gender and vulnerable groups changed and had become gender sensitive, with a fair amount of the budget being allocated to gender issues there is also an increased commitment to the implementation of the budget.

However there have also been some challenges within the council in terms of the gender mainstreaming and COE process, some of the main challenges has been making the different units within the council aware of the importance of gender mainstreaming with the council. This problem has been addressed through the various workshops and awareness raising sessions within the council and inviting the different unit staff to attend the meetings. We know that the change has occurred due to the number of people who have had interaction with the council through the COE process and have benefitted from being affiliated to the council. The council has built a very good relationship with the Khuseleka Victim Empowerment Centre, offering them assistance with GBV training and awareness raising and have also included the VEP centre in the COE workshops facilitated by GL on a few occasions.

“In July 2011 I attended a Gender Links workshop which was being hosted by Polokwane Local Municipality, I also received the invitation to attend the workshop from Naledi Masipa the Gender Focal Person from Capricorn District Municipality. And this is where I learned about the SADC Gender protocol and the different targets and thematic areas. Now I am much more opened and I also realised that it is not only about the centre anymore or even Polokwane, but about Southern Africa” – Jane Dimakatso Bambo.

Capricorn District Municipality is done of the COE as it is visibly committed to creating an enabling environment for the municipality and its stakeholders to ensure implementation of programmes and action takes place. These interventions and programmes are aimed at ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment. The council as a municipality has also taken resolutions the support of the strategy for local government and plays a key role in the implementation of gender mainstreaming.

The council has completed all of the COE Stages and will be in the best position to play a mentoring and coaching role to the local councils that are going to be joining the COE process. The performance of the council can be enhanced by ensuring that GL will continue to give the council the support it will require in order to ensure cascading of the COE process, within the local councils.

“We are still forging ahead with Gender Links so many years later; this has been one good working relationship”