Community members within the Mangaung Local Municipality are to be empowered through a learnership on emerging contractors, in line with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

Johannesburg has targeted informal settlements and is working with the provincial government to build houses for the thousands of families who live in backyard shacks and informal settlements.

Government's multibillion job creation project, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has so far created in access of 82 000 job opportunities for the unemployed.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has presented three possible case studies on how the AIDS epidemic could evolve in Africa over the next 20 years in a report titledAids in Africa: Three scenarios to 2025.

Presenting the Department of Provincial and Local Government budget overview, director-general Lindiwe Msengana-Ndlela said the budget included transferring R58,3 billion to local government over the next three years, which is likely to rescue many municipalities from bankruptcy.

Senior government officials from Gauteng and North West have agreed to set up a joint political committee to look at the implication of doing away with cross-border municipalities..

President Thabo Mbeki has reminded municipal officers of their responsibility to find solutions to service delivery problems that recently had tempers soaring at some municipalities in the country.

While governments are bound to supply water and electricity to the public, provision carries high costs. An independent regulator is needed to balance these needs, a local government conference has heard.

Tabling his budget, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said the government has injected R2 billion into the new comprehensive housing strategy this year. Another R1.7 billion had been reserved for municipal and sanitation infrastructure purposes.

EVENTS CALENDAR | SECRETARIAT

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