The Limpopo Provincial Government led by the Premier Mr. Chupu Stanley Mathabatha convened Limpopo Premier Intergovernmental Forum on the 2nd of July 2015, at Tzaneen Country Lodge.
The purpose of the forum was to assess the state of the Limpopo Province Municipalities Performance and strengthen the intergovernmental relations between the province and local government.
The Limpopo Premier Intergovernmental Forum consist of the Premier, Member of the Executive Council responsible for local government, mayors of the district municipalities, administrators of any of those municipalities under Section 139 and a municipality councilor designated by organised local government.
The key area focus of the forum was on the capacity of the municipalities to deliver basic services, infrastructure development, financial viability, filling of senior management posts, and municipal transformation, local economic development, good governance and public participation.
The province has experienced service delivery protests at Blouberg, Polokwane, Lepelle-Nkumpi, Greater Tzaneen, Maruleng, Thabazimbi and Thulamela Municipality. Generally the communities staged the protests in demand of among others, basic services such as water, electricity and roads infrastructure.
The province emphasised that municipalities should fill senior management posts and implement strict measures to combat corruption. In municipalities there is still a lack of oversight and accountability because there are no consequences for poor performing officials.
The government of Limpopo stressed out that delay in filling strategic posts might have a negative impact on acceleration of the service delivery. Labour unrest experienced in the province also had a negative impact on the service delivery.
The following areas were affected: Blouberg, Aganang, Mogalakwena, Vhembe, Thulamela, Mutale, Greater Tzaneen and Mopani District.
In terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,1996 Chapter 7(159)(1) states that “the term of a Municipality Council may be no more than five years as determined by national legislation”. The province also noted that municipal councils are expected to prepare for 2016 local government elections.
It was also noted that the Demarcation Board is currently busy with the re-determination municipal boundaries and the final determination and publication is expected to be finalised by July 2015. The affected municipalities are Mutale, Aganang, Maruleng, Fetakgomo, Mookgophong and Modimolle.
The following are the intergovernmental resolutions:
- The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) will develop an intervention plan to resolve the challenges with regard to filling in of section 56 and 57 vacancies. The intervention plan will be presented to EXCO before 31 July 2015.
- All the government department and parastatals settle all outstanding debt owed to municipalities before end of October 2015 (while still dealing with challenges relating to billing).
- Municipalities will ensure that all land fill sites are licensed.
- Provincial Treasury and CoGHSTA to engage National Treasury to waive the rollover criteria with regard to the appointment of Chief Financial Officers and that should be done before 31 July 2015.
- All district municipalities to attend to provincial JOC in order to highlights issues of violent protest.
- Municipalities to collaborate with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in preparing for 2016 elections.
- Municipalities should address the matters raised by the Auditor-General in the management letters before submission of the Annual Financial Statements and that should be done before 30 August 2015.
- Local and district municipalities should establish tribunals at district level
- Office of the Premier and CoGHSTA to develop a detailed integrated development plan (IDP) process plan to inform a review of IDP before 30 August 2015.
Enquiries:
Phuti Seloba
Cell: 082 807 0796
