3 July 2006
The North West MEC for Developmental Local Government and Housing, Phenye
Vilakazi, has deployed a financial expert, Prof George Williams, to the Mamusa
local municipality in Schweizer-Reneke. He is from the Development Bank of
Southern Africaâs Siyenzamanje programme and he will be with the municipality
for the next 12 months.
The deployment of Williams is part of the intervention that the provincial
government is making to help restore the municipality back to normal. His
appointment follows that of Seth Ramagaga, who has been sent to the
municipality as acting manager for the next three months. Ramagaga is the chief
director for monitoring and intervention in Vilakaziâs department.
According to Vilakazi, Williams has been specifically assigned to assist
Mamusa in financial management. âHe is expected to assess the financial
administration of Mamusa and come up with a financial turn-around strategy for
the municipality within the next few months.â
The mayor of Mamusa, Rantsho Gincane, has welcomed the assistance his
municipality is getting from the provincial government. âThe presence of
Ramagaga and Williams is already felt in the municipality. We all appreciate
the good work they are doing for us,â says Gincane.
The Mamusa municipality has been in the news since last year, amid financial
crises and divisions and conflicts within its administration and council. Its
problems started three years ago when the then councillors turned their council
chamber into a boxing arena. In June last year, the municipality failed to pay
salaries to its employees on time due to lack of funds. Employees only received
their salaries a week later after some intervention from Vilakazi.
The provincial government later discovered that the municipality was
struggling to collect its revenue. âThe municipalityâs capacity to collect
rates and taxes, which constitute the core of their budget, had been found to
be very poor, and the provincial government had to come in and assist to build
that capacity,â says Vilakazi.
Mamusaâs problems escalated earlier this year when the council suspended the
municipal manager, Dichaba Makhate, on allegations of misconduct. The community
service manager, Tekoetsile Motlashuping was appointed to act as a municipal
manager pending the finalisation of Makhateâs case.
There were serious divisions among the staff members, with some of the
officials supporting Makhate and others supporting Motlashuping. These
divisions resulted in threats of a go-slow by some sections of the work force
and slow service delivery.
The whole incident sent the morale of the staff to its lowest level and this
prompted Vilakazi to convene an urgent meeting with the council and municipal
staff. In that meeting, Vilakazi urged the municipal staff not to meddle in
political matters.
Realising that the situation in the municipality was not improving and the
divisions were intensifying, Vilakazi deployed his chief director for
monitoring and intervention, Seth Ramagaga, a month ago as the new acting
municipal manager for Mamusa for three months. He also promised to deploy a
financial expert in few weeks, hence the arrival of Williams at the
municipality.
The 59 year-old Williams is a registered chartered accountant and has
obtained a FCCA in the United Kingdom, MBA in banking with Nebraska in the
United States, Honours in Accounting with the University of South Africa and a
Higher Diploma in Company Law with the University of Witwatersrand.
Williams started his career at Sender Kosvinerand Sulcas, where he served
his articles before advancing his career in various institutions across the
country. He is also the former professor of financial management at the
University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University) and has worked as the
executive director and professor of finance at the University of South
Africa.
He has held directorships at the New Africa Investments Limited, Transkei
Broadcasting Corporation, which is currently part of South Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC), AFMIT and GW Management Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd.
Williams is confident he will help turn around the financial management in
Mamusa. âI have no doubt that by the time I leave the municipality in the next
12 months; it will be in a very good financial shape.â
Meanwhile, Vilakazi says he will send another financial expert to Mamusa to
go and assist Williams. âWe also expect to send labour relations and legal
experts as well,â he says.
Enquiries:
Mandla Mathebula
Cell: 083 282 6133
Tel: (018) 387 3813
Issued by: Department of Developmental Local Government and Housing, North
West Provincial Government
3 July 2006
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.gov.za)
