In an effort to ensure compliance with legislative framework, promote good governance and ethical leadership and that provincial municipalities execute their constitutional mandate effectively and efficiently, Provincial Treasury started one on one engagements with municipalities in Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts.
The engagements were in line with Section 154 of the Constitution of Republic of South Africa in respect of providing support to municipalities. The engagements were attended by municipal political leadership and administration officials who made presentations on performance of municipalities in relations to financial health including challenges relating to the adoption of unfunded budgets, supply chain management and financial recovery plans, and how these translate to acceleration of municipal services on the ground.
Engaging with municipalities, MEC for Finance, Mme Motlalepula Rosho said that all charged with delivery of service at the coal phase need to realize the importance of driving service delivery machinery to change people’s lives. Through the process we want to do an assessment of whether we are in the right direction and it is also to ensure we are constantly working within the rule of law,” said MEC Rosho.
She said the engagements seek to restore dignity of municipalities to provide services to the people, particularly potable water and sanitation
“Non-compliance with applicable legislation will not be tolerated anymore and hence the recent decision by Provincial Treasury to withhold equitable shares of nine municipalities which were later released following compliance with set directives.”
The municipal engagements also formed part of improving stakeholder relations, which MEC Rosho has undertaken since her appointment to ensure that all key stakeholders from both private and public sector sing from the same hymn book and are brought on board for the betterment of people’s lives.
MEC Rosho also used the session to solicit inputs from local government sphere which are to inform the departmental strategic plan session scheduled for month end with a view to come with appropriate and responsive support programmes to serve its stakeholders better.
She took comfort in the fact that although the system of local local government is currently not in good shape, there are pockets of excellence and there are municipalities such as Moses Kotane which show signs of improvements. She said they will start to incentivize municipalities that are showing signs of turning the corner. Others were cautioned that they are teetering dangerously closely towards the invocation of Section 216 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
It was emphasized that for municipalities to improve on sound financial management, there is a need to conduct skills audit of officials particularly in the Budget and Treasury Office and that they must be employed based on requisite skills and competence and be fully capacitated to discharge their duties professionally.
Municipalities welcomed the engagements and made commitments to improve performance where gaps had been identified. The roadshow will in the next week be taken to Dr. Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Ngaka Modiri Molema districts on 15 and 16 October respectively.
Enquiries:
Kesalopa Gill
Tel: 018 388 3584
Cell: 078 548 6352
E-mail kgill@nwpg.gov.za
