The Democratic Alliance in the Mpofana Municipality is disappointed by the lack of response by Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to the plea for intervention in the collapsing Mpofana municipality.
On the 31st of October, the DA in the Mpofana Municipality wrote to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA)Minister Dlamini-Zuma with practical solutions to some of the major challenges plaguing the municipality (letter here).
DA Shadow Minister for CoGTA, Haniff Hoosen MP, delivered the letter to the minister on behalf of the residents of the municipality after numerous residents and business complained to the DA.
Complaints included concerns about the state of affairs in the municipality, the disdain shown by the Mayor during an NCOP oversight visit as well as a letter received by the DA indicating that the municipality had defaulted on Eskom agreements.
The DA has proactively reached out to the ANC deployed minister to try and rescue the ailing municipality. Recommendations to the Minister include:
- Filling of critical vacancies with qualified and experienced officials Abandon the cadre policy systems in the municipality;
- Intervention into The Municipal Public Accounts Committee;
- Investigate the municipal finance department for lack of consequence management;
- Initiate an emergency infrastructure failure programme using skilled contractors;
- Rescue the municipality from the spiraling Eskom debt crises;
- Intervene in the billing and debt recover issues in the municipality;
- Remove the mayor and intervene in the lack of political capacity to deliver; and
- Make public and implement the outcomes of the forensic report
The DA is concerned that if the slow response from higher levels of government continues it will lead to further economic decline, further job losses and further collapse of critic services.
The DA in Mpofana will be writing to President Ramaphosa calling on the President to bring his Khawuleza campaign to the collapsing municipality before it is too late.