KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), under the leadership of MEC Sipho Hlomuka, has assigned additional resources to the nine ministerial representatives who have been deployed by the department to the municipalities currently under Section 139 intervention.
The department has specifically assigned financial experts who will work with the administrators to implement turnaround plans in these municipalities. The deployment of the resources follows a thorough assessment following regressions in audit outcomes in some of the municipalities that are under administration. The lack of support provided to the administrators by officials and councillors was also considered.
Today, Hlomuka convened a special meeting with the administrators where he received comprehensive reports on the progress of the municipalities.
Key among the issues discussed was the implementation of consequence management measures against errant officials who waste municipal resources through irregular and unauthorised expenditure. The MEC called on the administrators to leave no stone unturned in their quest to hold the management accountable within the municipalities. “As ministerial representatives, we expect you to act always in the interest of residents. The nature of the job that you have been appointed to requires you to take unpopular decisions which will assist the municipality,” said Hlomuka.
The MEC has also directed administrators to improve on systems that improve the cash flow of municipalities such as debt collection, reduction of water and electricity losses.
“We are concerned that some of these municipalities that are under administration continue to lose millions of rand as a result of their failure to improve revenue collection. Some of them have experienced severe blackouts as a result of the failure to invest in their electricity infrastructure, as ministerial representatives you have to guide the councils so that they can address these issues,” said Hlomuka.
Hlomuka called upon the administrators to not get caught up in the politics of the municipality they are in but to instead focus on the job they have been assigned. During the meeting, Cogta HOD Thando Tubane indicated the department’s commitment to a rigorous monitoring and evaluation process aimed at dealing with challenges faced by administrators as they go about their job.
Issued by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
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