[{"bbox": [97, 152, 1134, 206], "category": "Text", "text": "municipal infrastructure financing facilities (France), to name but a few - as well as with interventions by\nlikeminded partners (such as SECO's APEX Green cities programme."}, {"bbox": [97, 231, 1134, 339], "category": "Text", "text": "Finally, the action will build on previous and ongoing interventions around improved municipal governance and service delivery -notably the innovation for service delivery of the sector budget support programme in support of the National System of Innovation- and complement new interventions -such as the recently launched DG REGIO's International City Partnerships."}, {"bbox": [172, 365, 372, 392], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### c. Domestic politics"}, {"bbox": [97, 391, 1134, 656], "category": "Text", "text": "The Government of South Africa aims to build a developmental state and is committed to \"an environmentally sustainable and equitable transition to a low carbon economy\" as expressed in the National Development Plan 2030. Pursuant to the Constitution and relevant legislation and policy since 1994, local government in South Africa is the primary vehicle for the delivery of basic services to the population. The Constitution mandates local government to: manage its administration and budgeting and planning processes to give priority to the basic needs of the community; ensure the provision of services to the communities in a sustainable manner; promote the social and economic development of the community; promote a safe and healthy environment; and encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in matters of local government. The Government is also committed to mainstream gender in environmental interventions as stated in the \"Strategy toward Gender Mainstreaming in the Environment Sector\"²."}, {"bbox": [97, 682, 1134, 816], "category": "Text", "text": "Climate change and unequal access to services disproportionally affect South African Women, the youth and people with disabilities. The delivery of basic services such as energy, public transportation, water, sanitation and waste has a direct bearing on the country greenhouse gases emissions and natural resources management. South African municipalities can play a key role in addressing inequalities by ensuring that green and equitable services are delivered, whilst taking advantage of digital and smart solutions."}, {"bbox": [97, 841, 1134, 975], "category": "Text", "text": "The South African Government has shown commitment allocating national budget resources to service delivery. However, capacity to deliver and levels of funding remain insufficient. Municipalities' ability to act in an efficient, sustainable manner maximising digital, smart and innovative solutions is hampered by multiple factors including aging infrastructure, skills and capacity constraints, or constrained access to finance, which negatively impact local their socio-economic development and people."}, {"bbox": [97, 1000, 1134, 1107], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will provide an impactful EU contribution to South Africa's development and socio-economic recovery; support the country's delivery against its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement³, advance in 4 of the 5 priority areas of the Back to Basics Approach⁴; and contribute to concrete elements of Operation Vulindlela⁵."}, {"bbox": [97, 1120, 1134, 1226], "category": "Text", "text": "Recent developments -such as a renewed focus on the district development model, the new Electricity Regulations on Embedded Generation Capacity and the commitment to promote e-mobility as part of the government's Just Energy Transition Strategy- contribute to a more conducive environment for municipalities to invest in inclusive and greener service delivery."}, {"bbox": [86, 1355, 100, 1371], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²"}, {"bbox": [86, 1381, 1140, 1429], "category": "Footnote", "text": "https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/publications/strategytowardgendermainstreamingintheenvironmentsector2016_2021.pdf"}, {"bbox": [86, 1429, 1144, 1476], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ Reduced target emission from 398 – 614 MtCO2e in 2025; 2030 to 398 – 510 MtCO2e in 2025; and 350 – 420 MtCO2e in 2030"}, {"bbox": [86, 1476, 1144, 1525], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ Back to Basics service delivery priority areas are: Water and Sanitation, Energy, Waste Management, Transportation and Human Settlements. The Action will contribute to improvements in the first 4."}, {"bbox": [86, 1525, 1144, 1574], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ Supporting embedded generation and the establishment of the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency.\nhttps://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/operation-vulindlela"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1144, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 25"}]