Parliament, Tuesday, 27 October 2020 – The National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP’s) permanent delegates from Limpopo today met with both administrative and political leadership of the Thabazimbi Local Municipality as part of the National Provincial Week programme in the province.

The delegates, who are led by Mr Tshitereke Matibe, were briefed by the municipality on the use of consultants, conditional grant spending, financial management and recovery plan, municipal debt, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and audit outcomes.

The municipality has received three conditional grants in the 2020/21 financial year, namely the municipal infrastructure grant, R44 million; integrated national electrification programme, R5.1 million, and the water services infrastructure grant, R45 million.

Delegates raised a concern over the slow pace at which the conditional grant projects were being implemented, as well as the rate with which the municipality relies on consultants to render services to the people.

Currently, there are 10 different consultants who are hired to provide a variety of professional services to the municipality, including, among others, design and monitoring of projects, production of annual financial statements and collections.

Mr Matibe said: “Although we understand the challenges that were brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown, it is still concerning that out of the 15 ongoing projects, most of them are at the 10% implementation stage and others at 5%.”

He said that the municipality cannot afford to return conditional grants to the National Treasury on the account that it was not used in full, while at the same time, it is struggling financially.

The delegates asked the municipal manager and the Mayor to furnish a detailed report that should address a number of areas of concern, including, among others, functionality of portfolio committees, litigations, consequence management, salary bill versus operational expenses, and establishment of outstanding ward committees.

They also encouraged that the municipal public account committee should be reinvigorated, and a specialised researcher for the committee be appointed as a matter of urgency.
The delegates then undertook to follow up on three reports that were commissioned to investigate the affairs of the municipality by the Special Investigating Unit, Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, and the South African Local Government Association.

Lastly, the committee on Wednesday will meet with the Modimolle-Mookgopong Local Municipality to look into a number of areas, including the state of political leadership, as well as section 139 and 154 interventions.

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE LEADER OF THE LIMPOPO PERMANENT DELEGATES TO THE NCOP, MR TSHITEREKE MATIBE

For media enquiries, please contact the Media Officer:
Name: Mr Justice Molafo
Tel: 021 403 8444
Cell: 081 424 7481
Email: jmolafo@parliament.gov.za