The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) is humbled by the praise heaped on three of the eleven district municipalities under its jurisdiction by President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation address yesterday.
“We are humbled by the mention of Ilembe, Umzinyathi and Zululand District municipalities among only 11 municipalities nationwide for consistently good performance in audits, expenditure on municipal infrastructure grants and service delivery. They have done us all proud,” said KZN MEC for COGTA Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
KZN COGTA has noted that local government received a disproportionate amount of attention from the President which is proof of the importance of our municipalities and of the determination on the part of the government, both national and provincial, to turn things around in all those municipalities that are underperforming.
“As much as we rejoice in this achievement, we will not succumb to a false sense of accomplishment. The challenges in many other municipalities are too overwhelming to rest on our laurels as a department whose mandate is to oversee and support local government,” said Dube-Ncube.
KZN COGTA welcomes the challenge of playing its part in turning underperforming municipalities around and it will redouble its efforts in ensuring that all municipalities in the province improve their performance in audits, expenditure on municipal infrastructure grants and service delivery during this term of government.
“As overwhelming as the challenges our municipalities face are, the attention they are receiving from the highest office in the land along with the amount of detailed information at the President’s disposal means that the government is on top of its game,” said Dube-Ncube.
For more information contact:
KZN COGTA spokesperson
Lennox Mabaso
Cell: 082 884 2403
