A NEW municipal manager has been appointed to run the troubled Ditsobotla local municipality in Lichtenburg.

Monde Juta, who was seconded to stabilise the municipality about a year ago, has been given the job on a substantive basis.

Ditsobotla municipality received disclaimer on audit-general report opinion for the past seven consecutive years. The municipality was put under administration in quest to revive it. However the situation remained unchanged.

The auditor-general reported that the situation at the municipality has not being transformed as expected.

“The predicament at the municipality is that they do not have any consequence report. The municipality’s consequence management is inactive. There is no report under that and they have been receiving detrimental audit report opinion outcomes since 2008-09.

“The municipality has also been sued in the last number of years. They had six different municipal managers for the past 13 months,” auditor-general said.

However Ditsobotla municipality representative, George Nkambule said they will work tirelessly to perk up the situation at the municipality. He said the state of affairs at the municipality affects service delivery.

“The municipality is drowning in debts and that alone affects service delivery. However we believe we can twirl the corner in these coming months. We can assure to our residents that we will be steadfast to make sure we resurrect the situation. We must make sure the municipality is viable,” he said.

EFF Member of legislature and member of Scopa, Betty Diale said: “The situation at Ditsobotla municipality was caused by factionalism. People are parachuted to positions and being deployed in positions because of their political affiliation. The situation is deteriorating because people are not hired because of their capabilities. Political infights also played an integral role in demising of the municipality.”

Scopa provincial chairperson, Mahlakeng Mahlakeng said they mull opening a fraud, corruption and maladministration case against municipal officials.

“We cannot operate in this manner. There is lot of challenges at Ditsobotla municipality. We have realised that some of officials refused to attend meetings. And this guaranteed us the right to open criminal charges against them. However we believe the situation will be improved after the new temporary municipal manager, Monde Juta was roped in,” Mahlakeng said.

-TDN

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