Parliament, Monday, 02 September 2019 – The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is concerned by allegations of lack of cooperation and physical threats against the intervention team in Phokwane Municipality in the Northern Cape. The committee is of the view that any disagreement should be resolved through dialogue and not any other means.

The committee visited the municipality today following the invocation of Section 139 (1)(b) & (5) of the Constitution on 08 April 2019. Part of the reason for the committee’s visit to the municipality is so that the committee can interact and receive inputs from all role-players on the validity of the intervention. “We will never encourage any physical threat to an intervention that is governed by the constitution. While the committee has not taken a decision on the validity of the intervention, it highlights the need to realise that the constitution is sacrosanct and must be respected at all times,” said Mr China Dodovu, the Chairperson of the committee.

It is for this reason that the committee discourages defiance against the administration team and encourages those who oppose the intervention to interact with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs as well as Parliament, as their roles are guaranteed by the Constitution.

The committee is concerned that the council has not been able to convene council meetings to consider statutory requirements, such as the approval of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and 2019/20 budget. This undermines the role and function of municipalities to deliver services to the people.

The debt that the municipality owes to Eskom of R107 million and the R119 million owed to Vaalharts Water and Sedibeng water is worrying and contributes to the overall cash flow challenges in other government entities.

The committee is also concerned about the municipality’s financial viability. The information that even with 100% revenue collection the municipal shortfall will be R13 million mean that the municipality is not viable. Furthermore, the committee is concerned that the municipality is only spending R600 000 for service delivery while millions are spent on overtime and benefits to employees. The appointment of a Municipal Manager and the Chief Financial Officer is the first step in resolving the challenges in the municipality.

The committee will on Wednesday consider inputs from stakeholders to come to a conclusion on whether it must recommend to the National Council of Provinces to approve or reject the intervention.

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, MR THAMSANQA CHINA DODOVU  

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