The speaker’s refusal to call council meetings has impeded the opposition’s ability to provide oversight and hold the ruling party accountable.
The DA whip, Neels Coetzer says that, in addition to the speaker’s failure to call council meetings, neither the executive mayor nor the municipal manager responds to critically important correspondence from councillors. He says democracy is now at a standstill in NW405 and the ANC takes decisions behind closed doors.
‘This year, we have sent more than 40 direct communications requesting feedback, with no reply. If we cannot raise issues in council meetings and our letters and emails are deliberately ignored, there is no effective democracy in place,’ he said.
Coetzer says there are important issues that need serious attention. Firstly, ‘we approved the budget of Tlokwe on condition that council provides reports on issues of irregular, unauthorised and fruitless and wasteful expenditure that were raised in the Auditor-General’s report of 2015/16. This included the paraffin and smart metering contracts that were concluded without council resolutions. No reports have been received and no meetings have been held to discuss this crucially important issue.
‘Secondly, a senior manager who was illegally appointed is still in council’s employ and is being paid, despite our objections. We have problems with his qualifications, among other things.
‘Thirdly, the mayor has admitted that the national treasury and the NW province have only provided R13 million to fund the amalgamation. He has also admitted that there is a R90 million backlog in current creditors in Ventersdorp and they are not generating 30 per cent of their budgeted revenue. We need to know how Tlokwe’s money is being used for this.
‘Fourthly, the council needs to give input in the integration of human resources and systems between Tlokwe and Ventersdorp and oversee the amalgamation but is being excluded from doing so.
‘Lastly, senior managers have been in acting positions for longer than three months without the approval of the council or any council resolution because the speaker refuses to call a council meeting,’ Coetzer said.
*The Herald sent an email to the council spokesperson for a response but, at the time of going to print, NW 405 had still not commented on the matters that the DA had raised.
