Govt to improve access to basic services in SA’s service delivery hotpots – Mashatile

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says the government has identified the country’s service delivery hotpots with the aim to improve access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation, sustainable energy and refuse collection.

Mashatile answered questions in the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday.

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“An evaluation of the State of Local Government that was conducted in 2022 revealed that the number of dysfunctional municipalities had increased from 64 to 66,” Mashatile said.

“Among other things, this increase can be attributed to a lack of capacity, poor governance, financial management, corruption, as well as failed coalition arrangements.”

Water-related challenges

Mashatile said the department of water and sanitation, together with the elected leadership in municipalities, have agreed on a number of improvement plans to resolve water related challenges.

Part of the solution includes:

• Financial Support through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and Water Services Infrastructure Grants;
• Technical advice and management support from the Department of Water and Sanitation and its Water Boards.

Similar interventions have been put in place to resolve the issue of water contamination in Hammanskraal, said Mashatile.

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“What is of critical importance to us, is that as we execute these reforms, we are putting communities at the heart of service delivery and organising citizens and members of civil society to contribute towards the development of a brighter tomorrow for all communities.”

Political influence in municipalities

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament that to improve service delivery, municipalities must be separated from undue political influence that seeks to appoint unqualified candidates in positions.

According to Ramaphosa, one of the ways to ensure municipalities deliver services to communities is to appoint the right people in positions of power, said Ramaphosa.

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“We need to strengthen local government by separating the administration from undue political influence. For example, the appointment process of officials such as the municipal manager and chief financial officer could involve competence verification by national departments like Cooperative Governance and National Treasury. This would help to ensure people with the right skills and experience are appointed,” he said.