On Thursday, 1 August 2013, the North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts (SCOPA) has resolved to serve summons to the Mahikeng and Ditsobotla Local Municipalities and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipalities' Mayors, Municipal Managers, Chief Financial officers, Chairpersons of Municipal Public Accounts Committees to appear before the Committee.
This came after the Committee had requested the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs to intervene on the matter where the municipalities owe Botshelo Water over R188 million on water supply services.
The municipalities failed to honour the meetings that were scheduled to resolve the matter and did not send relevant officials. The Chief Director for Local Governance, Ms Pati Kgomo said the department made recommendations to the Committee that the district municipality should submit equitable share allocation for water services utilised since 2008/09 until 2012/13.
"We could not determine where the district municipality was spending its equitable share of water as they owe the entity millions. It should also be held liable and responsible to the debt owed to Botshelo Water," said Ms Kgomo.
The district municipality has sent Botshelo Water a letter of termination of contract with effect from the 1 July 2013. The Committee Chairperson, Hon. Hlomane Chauke said the Committee will summon the municipalities to a public hearing in Mahikeng where all residents will be invited.
"The attitude of the officials of these municipalities says they are not prepared to resolve the matter. This is affecting our communities and water is a constitutional right. “People have a right to know why their municipalities are not assisting them with the current water crisis," said Hon. Chauke.
Section 14 of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, 2004 (Act No 24 of 2004) hereinafter referred to as “the Act” read with Section 115(a) of the Constitution , further read with the North West Provincial Legislature Rule 60(3) gives the Legislature powers to summon people to appear before it.
Failure to attend the meeting by the people who have been summoned, is a criminal offence, punishable upon conviction, by a fine and imprisonment as contemplated in Section 17 of the Act. The meeting will be attended by the Auditor General’s office (AG); the Department of Water Affairs, tribal authorities, the Department of Local Government; and the Department of Finance.
All media is invited to attend the meeting.
For more information:
Namhla
Cell: 079 527 0628
