CoGTA Minister calls for the turn-around of all distressed municipalities and to go back to basics
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Zweli Mkhize sounded a clarion call on 22 June 2018 to all dysfunctional and distressed municipalities, in Mangaung Metro Municipality. Minister Mkhize, Premier Sisi Ntombela, Deputy Minister Andries Nel and MEC Oupa Khoabane met with the leadership of some municipalities in the Free State Province.
The visit of the Minister was undertaken in the spirit of Section 154 of the constitution, Act 108 of 1996 which states that national government and provincial governments, by legislative and other measures, must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, to exercise their powers and to perform their functions.
The Minister made it clear that CoGTA was not bringing funds, but a new attitude and approach to ensure that the municipality is able to function as expected.
Speaking with the councillors in Mangaung Metro Municipality Offices, Minister Mkhize indicated that the role of CoGTA is to play a supportive role in ensuring that there is service delivery as expected. “This oversight visit to the Free State Province is part of the ongoing programme by CoGTA geared to identifying municipalities with challenges and assist to come up with interventions that will ensure an effective and efficient functioning municipalities”, said Minister Mkhize.
The Minister urged councillors to make the municipalities the pride of their people when he met leaders of the nine municipalities. The councillors were urged to put aside political differences to ensure that the intervention programmes to support distressed and dysfunctional municipalities in the province becomes a resounding success as expected.
A key and important area is that municipalities should deliver basic services to the people such as the cutting of grass, refuse removal, provision of street lighting, water, sewerage systems and other services.
As part of the Back to Basics (B2B) programme and in the spirit of Thuma Mina, the visit is important as it’s success will set us on the path to the achievement of the objectives we set ourselves in the National Development Plan (NDP).
The discussions that ensued looked at the following key focus areas - governance and administration, service delivery, infrastructure, financial management, poor revenue collection, political instability and leadership. All this challenges have unfortunately led to a public outcry in South Africa about poor performance of some municipalities which continue not to do well.
Guided by the B2B programme aimed at building functional municipalities, the visit of the Minister was able to assist to identify and agree on critical and priority challenges. The Minister indicated that this challenges should be given an urgent attention, especially in the 9 critical municipalities.
All the engagements took place in the Mangaung Metro with the following municipalities:
- Mafube
- Masilonyana
- Maluti-A-Phofung
- Kopanong
- Letsemeng
- Mantsopa
- Nketoana
- Tokologo
- Mohokare
After the engagements, Minister indicated that Free State municipalities can overcome current challenges if they are willing to play their part. However, this will require a swift change of attitude towards governance and financial management
Minister Mkhize Informed municipalities as follows:
- The non-payment of municipal services continues to drive municipalities deeper into debt, as such councillors were urged to device plans that will encourage communities to pay.
- Municipalities to develop and implement clear turn around plans - to fix their challenges.
- Municipalities to submit reports to CoGTA in four weeks from the date of the meeting and this will include all other municipalities in the province.
- Municipal grants should not be used to pay for anything else other than what they are meant to finance.
- Municipalities were urged to pay their bulk accounts - Eskom and Water Boards.
- We should not tolerate corruption and the mismanagement of funds and there should be consequences for those found guilty.
- Our work should show that there is a difference in the services that we are delivering to our communities.
- Municipalities to fill their key positions in 3 months and this should be people who are well qualified to perform as required.
Minister Mkhize reiterated that municipalities should function optimally and among other criteria, exhibit strong political and administrative leadership, have political stability, spend budgets as expected, have functional council and oversight structures, undertake regular report backs to communities, have low vacancy rates, a good rate of revenue collection.
The Premier called for leadership in municipalities and encouraged leaders to ensure a united council that is able to deliver services to communities. A united council is able to better join hands to turn around distressed and dysfunctional municipalities. Turning around means doing things differently, in this context the Free State Province will convene a Local Government Indaba from 25 to 27 July 2018 to develop an action plan that will assist to ensure that municipalities are turned around and services are delivered as expected to communities.
The Minister urged Municipalities to change their attitudes to service delivery and ensure that the needs of communities are taken into consideration at all times. We need to do the basics and correct the way we approach service delivery guided by our plans aligned to the B2B programme.
Municipalities were urged to create an economic base that will assist to drive their economic development and to provide the much needed revenue. In that context, municipalities that have low economic base should plan to revive the life in those areas. Municipalities must develop and adopt implementation plan that can be supported by the entire municipality.
In his concluding remarks the Minister said, “we are optimistic that you will commit to improving Free State municipalities as we don't want to see a situation where municipalities are taken over or ultimately dissolved. “It's your role to run municipalities, and you were elected for a reason”, said Minister.
The Minister committed to supporting municipalities that have resolved and are capable to change the adverse situation they find themselves in.
Enquiries:
Legadima Leso
Cell: 066 479 9904
