Democratic Alliance (DA) North West Provincial leader and member of the Provincial Legislature Chris Hattingh’s criticism of Premier Thandi Modise’s comments on the 2011/12 Municipal Finance Audit Outcomes are nothing but cheap politics, usual theatrics from Hattingh to draw attention to himself and a desperate attempt to downplay the call for bold steps to be taken to overcome challenges facing municipalities.
The media statement issued by Hattingh under the heading” Modise’s latest rant about NW Municipalities sounds hollow” on Wednesday 10 April 2013 suggest that either Hattingh is trapped in the blame game mode like an old musical record with a scratch or he is genuinely unaware that municipalities are in terms of the constitution of the Republic of South Africa autonomous.
The broadside that Hattingh threw at Premier Modise is part of the DA’s strategy to drive a wedge between the provincial government and municipalities and between the Executive Council and portfolio committees within the provincial legislature.
Hattingh’s deafening silence on provincial intervention in Matlosana, Ditsobotla and Maquassi Hills and tacit support to those opposed to the interventions as they threaten their interests in the said municipalities have betrayed that he is not interested in functional municipalities but a divided African National Congress (ANC).
His criticism of the ruling party’s two centres of power in the province which has nothing to do with the AG’s audit outcomes is yet another disguised attempt to fan the flames of division within the ranks of the ruling party for the benefit his party.
Premier Modise has consistently urged municipalities to employ qualified, skilled and experienced senior managers to accelerate and deliver quality services to our communities and will thus not be sidetracked by Hattingh from focusing and pushing for implementation of the local government turnaround strategy which is the only hope for our communities.
Corruption and maladministration in municipalities across the province were not swept under the carpet as Hattingh suggest but were investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) appointed by President Jacob Zuma. The SIU final report earlier announced for release this month were not part of the Audit General’s 2011/12 Municipal audit findings.
Their link to the AG’s audit findings while they are not mentioned in the report proves that the fork-tongued Hattingh is a charlatan and a demagogue. The Premier’s call for municipalities to appoint qualified, skilled and experienced senior managers was not based on any forensic investigation as circumspectly suggested by Hattingh but on the AG’s findings.
All forensic reports that Hattingh is demanding from the Premier in his attempt to divert the public from interventions to deal with non-performers, accelerate and deliver quality services to communities were not commissioned by the Modise Administration in municipalities and do not relate to the local government turnaround strategy.
To the best of our knowledge Hattingh has not seen nor read the report on audit outcomes as it will only be distributed to municipalities, legislature, stakeholders and the public during the AG’s Provincial roadshow to be held in the province on 18 April 2013. Only a desperate psychotic demagogue would use last year’s audit findings to criticise Premier Modise on her comments on the findings of a report he has not seen.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
