By BAKANG MOKOTO
23 October 2025- The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration (Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements and Water & Sanitation) said it will over the next two days, visit Madibeng Local Municipality, and Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality, after the invocation of Section 106(4) of the Municipal Systems Act and Section 139(5) of the Constitution in both municipalities. The committee said it views municipalities as critical spheres to deliver quality services to the people.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Mxolisi Kaunda said unfortunately, many municipalities have not met the standard performance as demanded by Section 152 of the Constitution. Kaunda said their visit is to solicit opinions of internal and external stakeholders on the interventions invoked by the North West Provincial Executive.
“In the Madibeng Local Municipality, the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, instituted an investigation motivated by a whistleblower in terms of the Protected Disclosures Act ranging from maladministration, supply chain irregularities, alleged fraudulent activities and failure by the municipal council and its governance structures to process compliance items as prescribed by law.
“Section 106 of the South African Municipal Systems Act empowers the provincial Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for local government to investigate allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption, or other serious malpractice in a municipality,” he said.
Kaunda further said the committee hopes to receive a status update on the investigation and an update on the state of the municipality. He added that during the 6th Administration, the North West Provincial Executive invoked Section 139 (5) of the Constitution in Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality. Section 139(5) of the South African Constitution empowers the provincial executive to intervene in a municipality when it is in a financial crisis, unable to meet its financial obligations, or provide basic services.
“This intervention mandates the province to impose a financial recovery plan to correct the situation, and if necessary, the council can be dissolved and an administrator appointed.
“As a result, the committee decided to visit the municipality to assess the impact of the intervention and engage internal and external stakeholders on the state of the municipality,” said Kaunda.
He said as part of the visit, the committee will visit human settlements and water and sanitation projects in both municipalities.
The Guardian 