Latest / TIPS Podcast / Interview: Cheryl Phillips from Drakenstein Municipality on Governing for a Just Transition

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Interview: Cheryl Phillips from Drakenstein Municipality on Governing for a Just Transition · TIPS Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies official podcast, Tips Talk, the show where we delve into the fascinating world of economics and its impact on global development.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Elise Hutting, and today we are asking why is it important for government officials in the Western Cape Province to understand the impact of climate change, the imperative to green our economy, as well as make that transition just.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm here today with a guest that I'd like to introduce, Cheryl Phillips.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: She's from the Dragenstein Municipality and one out of 50 female senior managers in economic development and tourism.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's a pleasure to have you here, Cheryl.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: I'd like to let you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit more about your municipality and your role.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, it's such a great privilege to be here today, Elise.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm Cheryl Phillips and I'm the senior manager responsible for economic development and tourism in Dark and Stane municipality, and it's the second biggest municipality in the Western Cape.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: So that means just in terms of GDP contribution, it's literally besides Cape Town, which is a metro, we're the second biggest contributor to the Western Cape economy.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: But I must also just add, because we did indicate Drakenstein municipality, it's not in the Drakensburg, it's in one of the most beautiful regions, both in South Africa, Africa, and the world.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Incredible.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: We must come and visit.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: So our administrative capital, that's Paul.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you know.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know Nidderberg wines and KWV wines?
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you know Nederberg and KWV wines, then I'm sure you will remember Paul, Drakenstein, KWV, Nederberg wines.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: But also, I must just add that this is the bittersweet scenario.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: We are absolutely privileged that we, Paul, Drakenstein Municipality, was the first place where Tatamadiba, our president Nelson Mandela, set his first footsteps to freedom at Victor Fister, now known as Drakenstein Prison.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: We pride ourselves in terms of promoting, you know, the destination as a destination of wide open spaces, but also the municipality.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Because we are a very well-run municipality, we are an intermediate secondary city.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: And we, in fact, just a few months ago, we were rated as the best secondary city in South Africa.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: So we are a very well-run city in terms of governance and also making sure that basic municipal services and more are delivered effectively and efficiently.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: We literally run the municipality as Drackenstein Inc.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Our city manager, Dr.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Johan Lee Brand, prides itself.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: We operate the municipality as a business.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: What a really good best practice for us in the rest of the country to really look forward to learn more.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I would like to know you've been attending the Just SA workshop on green economy, climate change, and just transition policies over the last two days.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: What was the key takeaways that stood out for you?
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, I must be honest, the just transition, it was actually quite complex because the information was also very overwhelming.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: But the two takeaways for me is that the one is the issue of how do we mainstream as policy developers and technocrats, because especially in local government, that's where the rubber hits the road.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So we can have all these amazing policies and strategies, but how do we effectively implement?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, how does it land?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: And we have the integrated development plan, and then linked to the integrated development plan, we have the servers, delivery budget, and implementation plan.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: So how do we mainstream the just transition?
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: How do we find that expression in our integrated development plan?
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Because we have to deal with the sustainable development goals.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know the challenges that we have in respect to poverty alleviation.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: South Africa still remains the most unequal society in the world.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: So we have at municipal level, because let me tell you, I always use this reference when the president talks about a hundred billion dollar investment that you know he wants to bring into the country, it lands in municipal spaces.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: So we as municipal officials need to be ever ready.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: We need to be ever ready to respond to the needs of the public and also to make sure that we are municipal and investment ready to deal with all these complexities that South Africa has.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: So one of the things for us, of course, you know the Western Cape in terms of the drought that we had a few years ago, the agriculture sector is one of our priority sectors.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, Dr.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Simbel also alluded to the fact that agriculture is such a key sector for the Western Cape as well, and of course the Cape Winelands, and we the biggest economy in the Cape Winelands.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: So we cannot not talk about how do we mainstream just transition ideologies and also focus in our municipal spaces when we deal with planning, when we deal with development, and an all-encompassing approach that we must have in how we deal with just transition in Dark and Stan municipality.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Cheryl.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: That sounds like a lot of awareness and lots of also maybe hard work that lies ahead.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely when you're back at the office.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe for me, also quite interesting to know some of your achievements that you're known for.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned the fair trade policy, your initiative.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Could you maybe share a little bit with us about that?
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, sir.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: We're very excited about that Trackenstein, and this happened in 2020.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: We, in collaboration with the World Fair Trade Organization Africa, we collaborated and signed a memorandum of understanding that we will be a fair trade city in South Africa.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that is really about not leaving anyone behind.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And my understanding in terms of just transition, that is one of the key pillars to try and not leave anyone behind.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: And it's been quite an encouraging few years for us, but also it's been difficult because to change the mindset, you are dealing with all kinds of citizens, the haves and the have nots.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, in essence, it's about how do we take everyone along with little simple things.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Elise, you mentioned the issue of raising awareness.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: How do we actually make it top of mind that we cannot avoid climate change?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: The way we deal with waste.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: We now have various recycling projects.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: We've got a very good program with waste speakers on the landfill sites as entrepreneurs, which I think it's absolutely amazing that we're not leaving anyone behind.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: So the simple things that we do.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: We also have an agreement with the World Bank, IFC World Bank, where they did green energy training for green buildings.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's the little things that we do.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what?
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: All of this that we're doing is through collaboration and knocking on people's doors.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: So while I'm talking about this, I'm actually also call to action, knocking on people's doors.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you ever want a pilot, any just transition project, even if it's climate change mitigation projects within any municipal function and system, Trackenstein is the place to come because we are pilot ready.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: But in terms of the Fair Trade Conference, in 2022, we were awarded the international conference for the first time.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: The Fair Trade Citizen Towns Conference was held in Drackenstein last September.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that was a massive achievement for us as well.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: So we're quite busy, but our focus is to make sure that we mainstream.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Sustainability is a very important thrust for us in terms of our IDP, in terms of how we work, the way we work.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: But we need to see how best we can bring in the just transition.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: I must just also add, it is quite expensive as well.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: Our senior manager for electro services, he alluded to that yesterday.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: He's super, super knowledgeable.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: But the main issue is how do we ensure that we finance this?
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as South Africa, you know, we're dealing with all kinds of layers of complexities and also context.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: My prof always used to say context matters.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a myriad of complexities that we deal with.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: And in terms of your partnerships that you've mentioned, that you're not doing this all alone.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_01: Could you maybe share with us also in terms of governments and partnerships?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: We know it's part of a sustainable development goal.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: Who's supporting you in this journey?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so we have, I alluded to, the World Bank, the IFC, and then the Global Engagement International.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's an organization operating from Germany.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we've had a climate change mitigation partnership with them from 2015.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: In that partnership, we've got various projects in terms of you know the Berg River cleanup.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: We also have alien vegetation cleanup along the Berg River.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Then we have a partnership with Neumart municipality, which is in the state of Bavaria, and that's of course the Western Cape government in the state of Bavaria has had a partnership for over 20 years.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so we tie in quite nicely with that partnership.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're constantly looking at partnerships that will take us to the next level.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because when partners engage with us, they can see that we are competent and there are proper governance structures in place.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: That's important in the South African context to give your investors and partners a level of comfort and trust, which is really important.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm glad you mentioned the issue of investors because we've got a very serious drive to promote our destination as an investor-friendly destination.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: But if you look at just our location, you know, in relation to the city of Cape Town, it's like 60 kilometers, so it's, you know, 45 to 15 minute drive.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure you're familiar with the fact that the Winelands Airport, they're very close to concluding their feasibility, and I'm sure they've done with their feasibility.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And so they definitely, I'm thinking within the next two years, 2027, I think they'll be in operation.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then there is a massive migration from Houting to our area.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's a bittersweet because we also have job seekers moving into our area as well.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it's great that we are such a well-functioning municipality, but it comes with the complexities of dealing with the added challenges of servicing our citizens, increase in citizens.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: Cheryl, I'd like to thank you.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, our time is up, but I thank you for being with us today.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: It was fantastic to talk to you and the insights on the dynamics in your province and your little musical area is really valuable.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: So that wraps up today's episode.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: A huge thanks to our guest, Cheryl Phillips, for sharing her expertise, time with us, and attending this training workshop.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: We hope you will continue to champion the mandate of greening the economy in a just and equitable way.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: And to our listeners, thank you for your support.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: It means the world.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies official podcast.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, sustainable growth is not just a goal, but a path to a more resilient and prosperous future.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social media.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, I'm Elise Hutting, your host, signing off.