The Deputy Mayor of Maseru City Council (MCC) Mr. Ranteli Lekoane presented Maseru City draft declaration at the end of a three day city consultation in Maseru on Thursday.

The declaration focused on environmental and developmental issues for managing sustainable growth of Maseru.

Participants had recommended that Maseru Municipal Council (MCC) be capacitated to undertake all the mandates prescribed by the Local Government Act of 1997 as amended in 2004 to enhance its ability to provide services and raise revenue.

They also suggested that a new partnership approach to city management be formulated to broaden a range of institutions involved including the private and other city stakeholders.

They further recommended that specific working groups be established to address identified key environmental issues. Participants added that sectoral groups be immediately formed to deal with four priority areas of the city and waste management, urban land use planning, settlement upgrading and street naming and vending.

Other issues to be addressed will include urban public transport and parking, management and development of city parks.

Participants also recommended that the Central government reviews and harmonises legislations and regulations on land related issues with a view to aligning them with decentralisation policy.

The three day sustainable Maseru City programme, which ended on Thursday is part of technical cooperation of the United Nations, which Lesotho government through Maseru City Council (MCC) initiated to embark on for two years following the agreement signed between the government and UN Habitat in 2006.

Source: LENA 08/02/2008