MEC’s sign service delivery agreements
Underperforming members of the executive council (MEC’s) face the prospect of being relieved of their duties before their term of office end.
This after they signed service delivery agreements which empower the premier, Stan Mathabatha, to hold the MECs even more accountable in his administration.
According to Mathabatha, the service delivery agreements are part of a concerted effort to accomplish the developmental aspirations of the people of Limpopo.
“These service delivery agreements set out clear, measurable and achievable targets that will ensure improved service delivery in the wake of unemployment, inequality and poverty exacerbated by the scourge of the Coronavirus,” said Mathabatha.
He said that the agreements are a result of government’s adoption of an outcomes-based approach for each department to execute their mandate , an undertaking during the premier’s state of the province address (SOPA) and the Limpopo development plan (LDP).
“Collectively these agreements will reflect government’s delivery and implementation plans for its foremost priorities. Furthermore, this undertaking will instill a culture of constant improvement in the public service,” he said.
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He explained that the agreements will be reviewed annually so as to be refined in accordance with lessons learned and challenges experienced during execution.
“The signing of these agreements is an indication of our commitment to accelerate delivery of services to our people.
“The annual assessment of MECs’ performance will include the issues of sound financial management in their respective departments. It is all hands on deck,” said Mathabatha.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance provincial spokesperson on the office of the premier, Risham Maharaj, said that the organisation is very concerned that these performance agreements are the first and seemingly only instruments of accountability signed since the inception of the provincial cabinet 18 months ago.
Maharaj said that the province has been marred with lack of leadership, poor management and blatant maladministration with impunity in most of the provincial departments.
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“Only two departments received clean audits from the auditor-general during the 2018/19 financial year, 89% of auditees had noncompliance findings and the province incurred more than R2 billion in irregular expenditure. It is clear that sound financial management by our departments will entail much more than the ceremonious signing of performance agreements,” said Maharaj.
He said that the DA believes that Mathabatha was pressured into the move by its continuous call to hold the executive to account.
“The premier turned it into a publicity stunt to save face for the executive’s lack of decisive leadership over the past 18 months. We call on premier Mathabatha to honour the agreement he now made with the people of Limpopo to hold the executive accountable to their contracted outcomes. We will continue to fight for clean governance and accountability by the provincial executive to benefit the people of Limpopo,” said Maharaj.
He added that the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the province’s pre-existing challenges around service delivery.
