Note to editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Moshe Lefuma.
Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality (MaP) grapples with severe workforce management challenges, stemming from entrenched corruption and maladministration. There is currently no organogram in MaP and therefore staff are employed in non-existent positions exacerbating the issue and fostering a culture of non-accountability. Senior managers struggle to assess performance, leading to an exorbitant monthly salary bill of R60 million with no commensurate benefits to the municipality or the community.
The Municipal Manager informed the Democratic Alliance (DA) of a pilot process initiated by the Department of Cooperative Governance, slated to address this issue by 2025. Despite initial plans to collaborate with the University of Pretoria for the development of a new organisational structure, this agreement was subsequently abandoned. The recent promise by the Mayor to implement a new organogram alongside the budget only adds to the confusion within the municipality.
The DA is deeply concerned by the lack of progress and accountability in resolving this crisis. We will submit inquiries to the Department of Cooperative Governance for clarity on their involvement in the process.
Neither the MAP16-led coalition nor the current ANC-led administration has offered a viable solution to this ongoing debacle. The DA asserts its commitment to effective governance and calls on all South Africans who seek real progress to support us in rescuing Mzansi.