EFF members vote at the special council meeting in Johannesburg, 27 October 2022. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
North West finance MEC Motlalepula Rosho has announced the provincial executive committee representatives tasked with implementing financial recovery plans in eight municipalities that have been placed under administration since 2021.
The decision to delegate these representatives to implement the financial recovery plans comes after the troubled North West provincial government placed Naledi, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati (district), Madibeng, Kgetlengrivier, Ramotshere Moiloa, Tswaing, Ditsobotla and Mahikeng under administration after they failed to meet their service delivery mandate.
Maquassi Hills local municipality has been placed under discretionary intervention.
According to Rosho, Shirley Lesupi will be placed at Kgetlengrivier, Pringle Raedani at Madibeng, Muthutao Sigidi at Ditsobotla, Mojalefa Matlole at Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Matshidiso Mogale at Ramotshere Moiloa, Elen Moncho for Tswaing while Tshenolo Lefutswe will be at Naledi local municipality.
“They are required to ensure that municipalities will ultimately create a conducive environment to generate income, comply with financial legislation and improve service delivery,” Rosho said.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) sent a letter to premier Bushy Maape demanding these provincial executive committee representatives be monitored in the affected municipalities.
“In the past and under ANC rule, however, the Section 139(5) interventions in the province have not delivered many positive outcomes.
In most cases, it simply allowed the corrupt practices to continue, albeit in different ways. “This is repeatedly confirmed in the annual reports by the auditor-general.
READ MORE: North West municipalities leave R460 million unspent for 2021-22
It is a recipe for largescale corruption, as the track record shows,” said De Wet Nel, FF+ member of the provincial legislature in the North West.
The province recently experienced many service delivery related protests with protesters alleging they have no access to clean, drinkable water.
At the end of 2019 the struggling North West provincial government had placed 15 municipalities under provincial administration. In 2019, Madibeng, Ramotshere Moiloa, Maquassi Hills, Mahikeng, Naledi, Kgetlengrivier, Ditsobotla local and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipalities, which are currently under administration, were also under administration.
North-West University political analyst Professor Andre Duvenhage said: “These attempts are unsuccessful most of the time. The problem in municipalities has to do with skills, capacities and ethics.”
ALSO READ: North West FF+ opposes merger of municipalities
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