BY KABO LETLHOGELA
North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Local Government and Human Settlements has condemned Mahikeng and Ditsobotla Local Municipalities’ lack of cooperation with the Provincial Government’s Intervention Team under Section 139 (1)(b)which is tasked with compiling and implementing new General Valuation Rolls in the municipality including Ditsobotla and Lekwa-Teemane Local municipalities.
This came after the Committee held a meeting with Department of Local Government and Human Settlements for the close-up reports on the Provincial Intervention at Mahikeng; Lekwa-Teemane; Ditsobotla; Madibeng; Matlosana and Ventersdorp Local Municipalities on Section 139 (1)(b) and Section 154.
The Administrator for three municipalities (Mahikeng; Lekwa-Teemane and Ditsobotla), Willie Berker informed the Committee that although progress has been registered in the other two municipalities, the provincial intervention team has been experiencing resistance from Mahikeng Local Municipality.
“This specific municipality has not held a special council sitting to approve the intervention process. Role players in the municipalities are not on board and we find it difficult to obtain information on building plans and new buildings; consolidations and subdivisions; rezoning and determination of date of Valuation, etc.” Berker said.
Committee Chairperson, Motlalepula Rosho said the Committee is worried that the Mahikeng and Ditsobotla Local Municipalities are not cooperating with the intervention team to ensure that the valuation process of properties in the municipality is concluded.
“This shows serious laziness by officials from the municipalities who refuse to ensure that the process is concluded timeously. The inability of the municipal officials to compile and implement the new General Valuation Rolls for properties has forced the department to intervene yet they also failed to cooperate with such intervention team. This shows lack of consequence management by the leadership of the municipalities on such ill-disciplined officials,” Rosho said.
On issues of close-up reports on Section 139 (1)(b) and Section 154 interventions in Matlosana; Ventersdorp and Madibeng Local Municipalities, Rosho said the Committee is concerned that the department is unable to inform them on whether the reports were adopted by their respective Councils.
“We are unable to trace whether the department ensured that the Municipal Councils were convened and the close-up reports and its recommendations were tabled and taken through as part of adjustment period of Integrated Development Plan (IDP) in January 2017 for finalization.
“It shows that the department is very weak on conducting oversight in municipalities,” she said.
The former Administrator at Matlosana Local Municipality which was under Section 139 (1)(b) intervention, Seth Ramagaga said the intervention team together with the Department of Finance, Economy and Enterprise Development and National Department of Finance has developed a Financial Recovery Plan and conducted work sessions on finance, governance and administration.
“Public Participation on Budget and Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan was done. The municipality has also maintained positive bank balance as it is currently paying its debt with Eskom and all Supply Chain Management Committees were trained,” Ramagaga said.
The Administrator at Madibeng Local Municipality, Kelebogile Mogamisi, which was under Section 139 (1)(b) in the previous administration and currently under Section 154 said the municipality is implementing water projects accordingly and many areas residents receive water.
“We have set a coordinated water provision approach and implemented credit control measures and customer complains measures in situations where there are water shortages,” said Mogamisi.
Rosho said the Committee will meet with the department and the new administration at Matlosana Local Municipality to find proper processes on issues rose in the previous meeting with the municipality.
“On the meeting with the municipality on its Annual Report, they alleged that that the intervention team has put them in more debt and claimed that it has created more problems. The switching of interventions at Madibeng Local Municipality with the same administrator from Section 139 (1)(b) on water and sanitation prior local government elections to Section 154 after such elections is creating a serious problem because it is the responsibility of the department to support municipalities as expected,” she said.
Rosho said the Committee is also not happy with the close-up report of Ventersdorp Local Municipality and there is still a need to conduct an assessment on whether there is progress registered.
“We requested the department to go back and relook into the report and rewrite it properly. Its findings must be integrated with the process of the newly established North West 405 municipality which is an incorporation of former Ventersdorp and Tlokwe Local Municipalities,” she said.
Rosho further said the Section 139 interventions in the province remains the going concern and the value for money on the overall interventions still needs to be established.
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