Picture: North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Nono Maloyi/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
The North West MEC for Cooperative, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Nono Maloyi said, the provision of service delivery by government departments remains their core business. Maloyi said the North West Provincial Executive Committee (EXCO) reflected on reports it received from EXCO clusters as part of enhancing the work of the provincial government.
“One of the critical developments that have emerged from this EXCO meeting is that several municipalities in the province are experiencing challenges that impact their ability to render services to the citizens.
“In November 2021, EXCO resolved to place eight municipalities under mandatory intervention in line with Section 139(5) (a) and (c) of the constitution read together with Section 139 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA),” he said.
Maloyi further said the affected municipalities are Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, Naledi, Madibeng, Kgetlengrivier, Ramotshere Moiloa, Tswaing, Ditsobotla, and Mahikeng Local Municipalities. In implementing the mandatory intervention, he said the provincial government has adopted a few principles to ensure that, all affected stakeholders understand and fully embrace the intervention.
“Those principles are role player engagement and activation process, strengthening the Municipal Finance Recovery Service (MFRS), transparency, and participation. The provincial treasury, COGTA, and SALGA held sustained engagements with affected municipalities in July 2021 as well as in November 2021, with the then newly elected municipal councils.
“It was during these engagements that mayors of municipalities were taken through the outcome of an assessment conducted in line with the provisions of Section 138, 139, and 140 of the MFMA, which determines the criteria for a municipality in financial crisis and the mandatory intervention framework,” said Maloyi.
In preparation for the implementation of the mandatory intervention, he said, the provincial government, national treasury, and national COGTA convened a role-player engagement and activated consultation sessions in April and May 2022. He said the affected municipal councils and senior officials were consulted to build awareness on the requirements of Section 139 of the Constitution and Chapter 13 of the MFMA.
“Furthermore, when there is a financial crisis in any municipality, Section 139(5) of the constitution requires that the provincial EXCO must impose a recovery plan. The findings of the status quo assessment will be used to prepare an appropriate recovery plan.
“The Provincial Executive Representative (PER) was appointed to oversee the implementation of the financial recovery plan at the affected municipalities. The provincial treasury will place the PER at each municipality to lead the implementation of the financial recovery plan,” said Maloyi.
He said a panel of (MFRS) has been established to support the PER in the execution of his/her functions at these municipalities. According to Maloyi, the successful implementation of municipal interventions is underpinned by good cooperation by all key stakeholders, the national treasury, provincial treasury, COGTA – national, provincial departments, and (SALGA).
“The EXCO has agreed that additional resources must be appointed for the pillars such as governance, institutional capacity expert, legal experts and service delivery experts, including engineers to oversee the day-to-day operations of the municipalities to give effect to the implementation of the financial recovery plan.
“All these efforts are undertaken to stabilise the affected municipalities and ensure that they can effectively render the much-needed services to the public and to sustain this stability in the long term,” he said.
The Guardian 