MAHIKENG MAIL - DITSOBOTLA: The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa during his visit this week to Ditsobotla Local Municipality, assured the media and public that the centre was holding accountable the municipality where issues of leadership in the municipality were concerned.
Engaging with various provincial government officials including leaders in municipalities and the department of COGHTA, Minister Hlabisa indicated the national government, since instituting Section 139 (7) of the Constitution and Section 150 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), through which the National Executive assumed the functions of the Provincial Executive to implement a financial recovery plan in Ditsobotla, managed to bare fruits in regard to the ongoing challenges faced by the municipality. There has been issues such as of allegations of ghost workers and bloated staff numbers not needed by the municipality.
“The issues of service delivery, water, sanitation, roads and storm-water are a priority matter. The commitment that I made from the side of government is that the municipality is owed a huge sum of money.
“If you want to see Ditsobotla working, the government, business people and residents must pay the municipality so that it can render services,” said Hlabisa, adding that all the procurement and appointments of senior positions in the municipality would be approved by national government before implementation.
The Minister’s visit was to engage the newly elected municipal leadership on priorities for restoring stability and service delivery, assess progress on the implementation of the financial recovery plan and institutional reforms, strengthen cooperation with key stakeholders, including provincial government representatives, traditional leaders, community leaders and civil society and reaffirm national government’s commitment to turning around municipalities under intervention and ensuring they are placed on a path of good governance, financial health and sustainable service delivery.
The visit was also a continuation of CoGTA’s ongoing efforts to stabilise municipalities facing severe governance and financial challenges, while ensuring that communities begin to experience tangible improvements in their daily lives.
