Parliament, Tuesday, 03 September 2019 – The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is concerned by information that the recovery plan for the Msunduzi Local Municipality has not been widely canvassed among key stakeholders within the municipality.
The committee visited the municipality as part of the constitutional prerogative to either support or reject an intervention by the Provincial Executive through Section 139 (1)(b) of the Constitution. While the committee is cognisant of the fact that the plan has not as yet been adopted by council, it has called on the administrator to engage key stakeholders such as labour, the South African Local Government Association (Salga), business and the community at large to get their buy-in that is necessary to ensure the plan’s success.
The overwhelming support for the intervention is welcomed, as it will create a platform to return the municipality to functionality. The committee welcomes the assurance given by the administrator that government departments and state agencies – such as provincial Cogta, National Treasury, Auditor-General and Salga – are offering necessary support to the administrator.
The committee has called for urgent and effective consequence management within the municipality. “Everyone that has been found to be in the wrong must face consequences irrespective of the position they hold. Justice must not have eyes and where possible processes must be put in place to recover any ill-gotten resources,” said Mr China Dodovu, the Chairperson of the committee.
The National Development Plan emphasises the professionalisation of the public services as a necessity in strengthening service delivery. It is in this context that the committee has emphasised the employment of fit and proper people at all levels of the municipality who are capable of delivering quality services to the people of Msunduzi Municipality.
The committee remains of the view that the people of Msunduzi deserve better services and has called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure efficient service delivery. “All efforts must be invested in ensuring that the municipality and local government in general works for the benefit of the people,” Mr Dodovu said.
The committee will tomorrow deliberate on the representations made today and decide if they will recommend to National Council of Provinces to accept 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 CHINA DODOVU.
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