Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Johan Pretorius and Sesotho by David Masoeu.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for urgent action to be taken on the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) for failure to deliver services to residents, and rampant mismanagement of funds. Of particular concern is the abuse of Section 139 interventions in municipalities for political gain rather than genuine attempts to enhance service delivery.
In October 2021, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) warned about the abuse of Section 139 interventions in municipalities, highlighting that political instability and infighting often result in the abuse of this section. The DA is concerned that the position and powers of the National Cabinet Representative (NCR) that are currently held by Gugu Malaza are a source of much controversy. Malaza was suspended in 2018 after financial irregularities were revealed and resigned as the Ekurhuleni Metro CFO in 2019. The DA is concerned that Malaza cannot interfere with council decisions or have political connections to any political party. After a year, the Council has not received a single report from the National Intervention Team.
The MMM has received more than R1 billion from the National Government as a grant but only spent 34%, Waste removal services in Mangaung have reached an all-time low, with waste in most areas not being removed for more than two months between February and March 2023. The planning department is facing constant challenges, such as a very high 60% vacancy rate and critical vacancies in key positions. Developers are not interested in investing in Mangaung due to the red tape and incompetence of officials.
The ANC-controlled Metro has abused, misused and criminalised the structure of the Metro for decades, making it difficult to be transparent. The Audit Report has regressed due to the failure to ensure the implementation of council resolutions. Debt collection is at its worst, with only the government and businesses owing the Metro more than R3 billion, and no written agreement has been entered into to ensure that the money is paid back. The third-quarter financial report has not been tabled before the council, and both the capital and operational budgets are underspent.
The DA is deeply concerned about the lack of service delivery to residents and the mismanagement of funds in the MMM. The DA is calling for urgent action to be taken to address these issues, and for the NCR to be held accountable for their actions. The residents of Mangaung must be registered to vote in the 2024 election and vote for the DA to ensure that they receive the services that they deserve. The DA will not stop until the officials and the NCR are held accountable for their actions.
Department overall ratings:
- City Manager
- 1/10
- Chief Financial Officer
- 1/10
- NCR Intervention Team
- 1/10
- Engineering
- 2/10
- Solid Waste and Fleet
- 2/10
- Planning
- 5/10
- Corporate Services
- 2/10
- MPAC
- 4/10
- Social services
- 2/10
- Economic and Rural development
- 1/10