Merafong Municipality’s failure to uphold its vision, mission, and values

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Merafong Municipality’s
failure to uphold its vision, mission, and values, which has significantly impacted the
community’s trust and well-being.

The Merafong Municipality’s vision is to be a well-governed, sustainable, and
economically vibrant municipality that provides quality services to its residents. Its
mission includes promoting transparency, accountability, and efficient service
delivery, while its core values emphasize integrity, fairness, and community
engagement.

Unfortunately, recent events and ongoing issues have highlighted a stark contrast
between these stated goals and the municipality’s actions:

1. Lack of Transparency and Accountability:
o Despite numerous requests for information such as requesting an
update on the outdated Merafong website, and clarity on various issues
by e-mail and WhatsApp, the municipality has consistently failed to
provide timely and transparent responses. This lack of communication
undermines the principles of accountability and transparency that are
essential for good governance. We requested the Mayor and the MM to
call a community meeting to address pressing issues, the request was
ignored

2. Financial Mismanagement:
o The municipality’s apparent lack of a proper financial system has led to
significant financial mismanagement. This deficiency not only hampers
effective financial management but also creates an environment ripe
for corruption. Without a structured financial system, it becomes
exceedingly difficult to track income and expenses, leading to potential
misallocation of funds and increased risk of corrupt activities going
unnoticed. One of these matters originated in 2014 regarding displaced
councillors for which the municipality is still paying 10 years later. The
concern that the new financial system costing R70 M opposed to
Munsoft that is about 50% cheaper and used in other municipalities in
the West Rand Region without any reasonable explanation. The fact
that the MM had the BIQ code cracked and chose to lose the entire
financial history opposed to running the new system parallel to the BIQ
system until the new system proved to be stable.

3. Unfair Billing Practices:

o The recent imposition of charges on residents for printing accounts
they did not receive due to the lack of a financial system is both unfair
and unjustified. The municipality’s failure to maintain a proper financial
system should not result in additional costs and responsibilities for
residents for example the request that residents must take their own
readings and submit it to the municipality by e-mail. I saw accounts
where residents were billed for the same water consumption twice
resulting in huge accounts.

4. Service Delivery Failures:
o The ongoing issues with utility accounts, including incorrect balances,
un-reflected payments, and inaccurate meter readings, have caused
significant frustration and confusion among residents. Additionally, the
billing of exempt entities for property tax violates the Municipal Property
Rates Act, 2004 (Act No. 6 of 2004).

5. Employee Rights Violations:
o The excessive unpaid overtime and unfilled vacancies in critical
departments such as electricity and water and sanitation are not only a
violation of employees’ rights but also detrimental to their well-being
and morale. These issues highlight the municipality’s failure to provide
a supportive and fair working environment.

6. Frequent Suspensions and Irregularities:
o The frequent suspensions of key personnel just before new contracts
are entered into suggest potential irregularities that need to be
investigated. This pattern raises serious concerns about the integrity
and fairness of the municipality’s procurement processes.

7. Debt Collection Irregularities:
o The harassment of residents whose accounts are in fact in credit or
paid in full by Ncube Attorneys which was appointed to do debt
collection. The fact that ext 6 in Kokosi does not have electricity or
water meters but bulk meters which usage are not being paid by
province or anybody else.

The residents of Merafong deserve better governance and a commitment to ethical
practices from their municipal leaders. It is imperative that the municipality addresses
these issues promptly and provides a clear explanation of the steps being taken to
resolve them. Furthermore, the municipality must ensure that all procurement
processes are conducted in a fair and transparent manner, free from any conflicts of
interest.

By bringing these issues to light, I hope to encourage a more transparent and
accountable administration that truly serves the best interests of the community. The
Merafong Municipality must realign its actions with its vision, mission, and values to
restore the community’s trust and ensure sustainable development.

Public involvement in voicing concerns about poor and unfair service delivery in
Merafong is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures transparency and
accountability in local government, as officials are more likely to address issues
when they know the community is actively monitoring their actions. Secondly, it
empowers residents by giving them a platform to influence decisions that directly
affect their daily lives, such as utility services and financial management. Lastly, collective action can lead to meaningful changes and improvements, fostering a
sense of community and shared responsibility.

By speaking up, residents can help create a more equitable and efficient local government. Please support our Petition:
https://forms.gle/HEvrruyB1n9dmYbJ7 to hold Merafong accountable and demand
sound financial management.