Acting local government and traditional affairs MEC Paul Sebegoe said the department has partnered with MDB Solutions, a debt collection company, to analyse municipal books to draw up an accurate list of debtors.

Presenting his budget vote at the provincial legislature last week, Sebegoe said five North West municipalities (Ventersdorp, Naledi, Lekwa-Teemane, Tswaing and Mahikeng) had benefited from revenue enhancement projects to improve their financial stability.

He said the department intended to aid municipalities in 11 key areas of revenue management strategies involving legal matters, meter installations, data management, meter readings, billing, receipt management, credit control, debt management, indigent management, customer care and service departments.

“The five municipalities have made progress in implementing key elements for improvement with rates and taxes and service charges.

“To date, Ventersdorp municipality is at 73% and Naledi municipality has made a significant improvement from 46% to 72%,” he said.

“To maintain this improvement, a revenue enhancement project forum has been established with the primary objective of ensuring municipalities share best practices and that excellence is replicated.

“This forum is tasked with reconciling and clarifying disputes around government debt,” Sebegoe said.

He said the Mahikeng municipality was identified as a pilot site for the project and intensive data cleansing, debts/credit control management and customer care activities would be undertaken free for a period of six months.

Sebegoe recently invoked Section 139 (1) (b) administrative intervention in the Matlosana, Maquassi Hills and Ditsobotla municipalities.

The section states: “When a municipality cannot or does not fulfil an executive obligation in terms of the constitution or legislation, the relevant provincial executive may intervene by taking any appropriate steps to ensure fulfilment of that obligation, including assuming responsibility for the relevant obligation in that municipality to the extent necessary.”

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