The ANC provincial executive committee in lekgotla has brought into sharp focus the pressing issue of municipal dysfunction in Mpumalanga.
During the lekgotla, held from August 19 to 20 at the Msukaligwa local municipality, ANC chairperson Mandla Ndlovu announced that six municipalities in the province have been declared dysfunctional, reflecting deep-seated problems in local governance.
“We must ensure that we put an end to local economic development being a dumping site for public servants who could not perform elsewhere,” said Ndlovu.
“It is of great concern to us as the ANC that six of our municipalities in the province have been identified as dysfunctional.
“We have to pay special attention and come up with urgent interventions to assist these municipalities.”
Need to address GBV
The lekgotla, which gathered leaders from alliance partners, traditional leaders, and community organisations, was the first major meeting after the May 29 elections.
It coincided with Women’s Month, emphasising the need for concerted efforts to address gender-based violence (GBV) and other social issues.
However, the primary concern of the gathering was the critical state of local government.
Ndlovu’s remarks underscore the urgent need for reforms to address these systemic issues.
The severity of the municipal crisis is reflected in the latest auditor-general’s report, which shows that nearly R1-billion had been invested to address financial mismanagement in municipalities.
The report, however, indicates that these efforts have largely been in vain, with persistent issues undermining progress.
The report notes that “five municipalities reported significant doubt about their ability to continue operating, while 10 municipalities approved unfunded budgets, resulting in an unauthorised expenditure of R2.54-billion”.
This troubling situation has been attributed to poor budgeting practices, ineffective financial management, and inadequate revenue-collection strategies.
Enhancing financial oversight
During a press briefing in Mbombela on Thursday, ANC provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa expressed a firm commitment to tackling the problems.
“We must prioritise the revitalisation of our local municipalities,” said Chirwa.
“This includes not only improving financial management but also ensuring that we have the right personnel in place to handle these responsibilities effectively.”
The lekgotla resolved to implement several measures aimed at addressing these municipal failures.
Key among these are enhancing financial oversight, improving revenue collection, and establishing monitoring units to combat corruption and mismanagement.
The ANC leadership has called for municipalities to enter into realistic debt-repayment programmes with service providers and to strengthen their financial management systems.
What type of journalist writing is this? You write about municipalities being “dysfunctional” and don’t mention them. If the Premier didn’t mention them by name, then indicate si. BASIC COMMON SENSE!!!!!!