NCOP to deal with two key issues affecting poor municipalities
The impact of both the equitable share formula for funding allocation and the water boards’ pricing systems on poor municipalities are among the two key issues that the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)’s Free State delegation will recommend that the relevant Parliament committees deal further with.
On the second day of the NCOP Provincial Week programme currently underway in Free State, presentations were tabled by both the Kopanong Local and the Xhariep District municipalities on Wednesday.
The presentation by the Kopanong Local Municipality disclosed that among the challenges faced was the issue of Bloem Water, which is the Water Board responsible for providing water in the municipality. It was claimed by the municipality that Bloem Water was charging the municipality exorbitant prices for the water supplied.
The NCOP Provincial Whip, Mrs Manana Tlake, said the delegation would recommend that Bloem Water be asked to appear before Parliament.
“The issue of Bloem Water is a very critical one. We need to call the Bloem Water management to the NCOP so that we can find out from them what the situation is and how it can best be dealt with,” said Mrs Tlake.
She added: “As the NCOP we are carrying out this oversight exercise in order to see how can we intervene and hold hands with municipalities concerned to try and assist each other.”
The delegation also heard a presentation from the Xhariep District, which indicated that the municipality was in a dire financial situation as a result of, among others, the allocation of grants by National Treasury through the equitable share formula based on population size.
The programme continues today when the delegation will hear a presentation from the Naledi Local Municipality in Dewetsdorp before heading back to Bloemfontein for a presentation by the Mangaung Metro, which will be followed by a public meeting at the Mangaung Outdoor Centre.
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