Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on intervention in Oudtshoorn Municipality

National and Provincial intervention in Oudtshoorn Municipality

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Pravin Gordhan, and the MEC of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, Mr Anton Bredell, have agreed that urgent intervention in Oudtshoorn Municipality in necessary.

The decision to intervene follows the failure of the Oudtshoorn Municipality to approve a budget for 2015/16 at its latest meeting on 29 May 2014, the failure to adopt a supplementary budget for 2014/15, allegations of serious financial mismanagement and service delivery challenges.

Based on an assessment by a joint Back to Basics team from the national and provincial departments the Minister and the MEC have come to the conclusion that urgent action is required to address the following:

  • Political and administrative instability;
  • Non-functional council structures;
  • Irregular acting appointments in senior positions;
  • Water pollution and refuse removal and general breakdown in delivery of services to communities;
  • Irregular appointment of service providers and procurement processes;
  • Poor communication with communities;
  • Eskom debt and decline of the tourism industry; and
  • Racial polarization in the municipality and communities of Oudtshoorn.
  • Failure by the municipality to adopt an adjustment budget for 2014/15.
  • The possibility that the municipality might not adopt a budget for 2015/16.

Following an unannounced visit to the municipality earlier this year Minister Gordhan wrote to the municipality on 30 March 2015 proposing a support and good governance package in terms of section 154 of the Constitution. The municipality has failed to adopt this package.

Enquiries:
Dumisa Jele
Cell: 082 908 4798
E-mail: dumisaj@cogta.gov.za

Mpho Lekgoro
Cell: 071 607 3081
E-mail: mphol@cogta.gov.za

Graham Paulse
Cell: 072 348 8135
E-mail: graham.paulse@westerncape.gov.za

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