The fact that the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) is concerned about the general state of municipalities in Gauteng does not come as a surprise for the FF Plus.
The Portfolio Committee stated that it is particularly concerned about the large number of vacant positions for senior staff members, shortage of technical personnel, extensive corruption and maladministration.
In the past, the FF Plus in Gauteng repeatedly requested the Gauteng MEC for COGTA, Lebogang Maile, to intervene at the poorest performing local municipalities, like Emfuleni, Rand West, Mogale City and Merafong as well as the District Municipality of West Rand, and implement a turnaround strategy. No action was, however, taken and the municipalities’ high water and power losses as well as unauthorised, irregular and wasted expenditure increase every financial year.
In Johannesburg, irregular expenditure increased from R1,2 billion in the 2014/15 financial year to R3,07 billion in the 2018/19 financial year.
The West Rand District Municipality unlawful expenses for the 2018/19 financial year amount to a staggering R149,7 million, of which R92,09 million has not yet been investigated.
Mogale City’s unauthorised expenditure for the 2019/20 financial year amount to R166,3 million.
The Public Accounts Committees of five of the eleven municipalities in Gauteng did not adopt the 2019/20 year plan and it only goes to show that these Committees are dysfunctional.
The large number of vacant positions, specifically for senior managerial staff, as well as for support service personnel is cause for concern.
In four out of the eleven municipalities, the municipal manager posts are vacant and the turnover of municipal managers at Emfuleni is striking.
The FF Plus has always held the opinion that municipalities must fill positions with the best possible candidates so as to turn around dysfunctional municipalities for the benefit of all residents. It is urgent and vital that Affirmative Action and cadre deployment must be stopped.
The FF Plus will continue to hold municipalities accountable for maladministration and poor service delivery.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Amanda de Lange on FF Plus
South Africa Today – South Africa News
