As part of its “back to basics” agenda, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) hopes to “empower citizens” and “enhance community participation” through the use of Web and mobile platforms.

To this end, the department has called on information and communications technology (ICT) firms to submit information, by April 3, on how Web- and mobile-enabled platforms could effectively support and enhance more open and effective communication between government and citizens.

“The use of technology and mobile-enabled platforms is rapidly changing the manner in which citizens interact and do business,” said Cogta, which was seeking to connect the government with citizens to improve perceptions about government and its responsiveness and promote accountability and feedback in real time.

The use of ICT platforms would form part of the basic set of tools that would ensure greater accountability and transparency in an environment where one-third of South Africa’s 278 municipalities “were not doing well”, with the factors that led to dysfunction including political instability and problems with service delivery and institutional management.

In September last year, the department launched the ‘Back to Basics’ programme, anchored by the pillars of “putting people first, delivering basic services, good governance, sound financial management and building institutional capacity”, to empower citizens to hold municipalities accountable to their promises.

The end goal was to improve the delivery of basic quality services to the communities and ensure constant contact with communities through effective public participation platforms.

The programme also aimed to ensure municipalities were well governed and demonstrated good governance and administration; boasted sound financial management and accounting and developed solid institutional and administrative capabilities administered and managed by dedicated and skilled personnel at all levels.

The tender for the three-year design, implementation and maintenance of a Back to Basics Information System for Cogta, provincial departments of local government and municipalities had closed in January.