Opinion is divided over whether government’s almost year-long intervention to turn around the ailing Makana Municipality has been a success.
This emerged yesterday during a visit to Grahamstown by a cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) parliamentary select committee, where all stakeholders were given a chance to provide input on progress made since a National Council of Provinces delegation (NCOP) visited in February.
While newly-appointed mayor Nomhle Gaga and others called for recently-appointed Bhisho administrator Jongesiwe Gomomo to be given a chance to continue with turnaround strategies devised during previous administrator Pam Yako’s intervention, committee member Mergan Chetty said he would be calling for the entire Makana council to be dissolved.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch after the committee was given input on the intervention by Gaga, opposition political parties, officials, business groupings, civic organisations and Rhodes University, Chetty said immediate and drastic action needed to be taken to sort out a myriad problems still plaguing the local authority.
“There has been no improvement at all. The situation in Makana has regressed since our last visit.”
Chetty, who is DA spokesman on the Cogta in the NCOP, said he would be calling for council to be dissolved immediately as the recent reshuffling of political heads – including Gaga replacing redeployed ex-mayor Zamuxolo Peter – and the appointment of another administrator was “not helping the people of Makana”.
“We can’t wait for local government elections, Makana needs immediate action.”
Earlier, a submission by Makana business chamber head Lungile Mxube called on the NCOP to dissolve council and launch an independent forensic audit into alleged financial and other irregularities in the municipality.
Mxube said the “ongoing state of paralysis” in the municipality included maladministration, the continued payment of ghost workers, corruption, and the absence of key political and municipal leadership.
South African Municipal Workers’ Union chair for Makana, Zola Kolisi, said ongoing concerns included not yet appointing a municipal manager and chief financial officer, the attachment of municipal assets to cover outstanding bills owed to creditors, and a lack of action after maladministration was exposed in the yet-to-be publicly released Kabuso forensic report.
Kolisi called for a “proper forensic investigation” by the public protector to investigate the alleged disappearance of millions of rands over the past six years as well as the awarding of tenders and the cost to company details of each municipal employee.
Samwu however did not believe that council should be dissolved.
Gaga said “significant strides” had been made since Yako was appointed administrator in October last year, adding that a financial recovery plan had been devised.
She said the administration had also been stabilised and a considerable amount of debt had been cleared with creditors.
Water and sanitation had been improved and some critical posts had been filled.
She however admitted continuing attachments of municipal assets by creditors, slow spending on service delivery, the lack of appointment of a municipal manager, chief financial officer, director of infrastructure and others was of concern.
Although revenue collection had improved to 83%, the cash flow situation was described as “still precarious”. The backlog of debt to Eskom and excessive overtime were still problematic. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Makana: call for drastic measures
This emerged yesterday during a visit to Grahamstown by a cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) parliamentary select committee, where all stakeholders were given a chance to provide input on progress made since a National Council of Provinces delegation (NCOP) visited in February.
While newly-appointed mayor Nomhle Gaga and others called for recently-appointed Bhisho administrator Jongesiwe Gomomo to be given a chance to continue with turnaround strategies devised during previous administrator Pam Yako’s intervention, committee member Mergan Chetty said he would be calling for the entire Makana council to be dissolved.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch after the committee was given input on the intervention by Gaga, opposition political parties, officials, business groupings, civic organisations and Rhodes University, Chetty said immediate and drastic action needed to be taken to sort out a myriad problems still plaguing the local authority.
“There has been no improvement at all. The situation in Makana has regressed since our last visit.”
Chetty, who is DA spokesman on the Cogta in the NCOP, said he would be calling for council to be dissolved immediately as the recent reshuffling of political heads – including Gaga replacing redeployed ex-mayor Zamuxolo Peter – and the appointment of another administrator was “not helping the people of Makana”.
“We can’t wait for local government elections, Makana needs immediate action.”
Earlier, a submission by Makana business chamber head Lungile Mxube called on the NCOP to dissolve council and launch an independent forensic audit into alleged financial and other irregularities in the municipality.
Mxube said the “ongoing state of paralysis” in the municipality included maladministration, the continued payment of ghost workers, corruption, and the absence of key political and municipal leadership.
South African Municipal Workers’ Union chair for Makana, Zola Kolisi, said ongoing concerns included not yet appointing a municipal manager and chief financial officer, the attachment of municipal assets to cover outstanding bills owed to creditors, and a lack of action after maladministration was exposed in the yet-to-be publicly released Kabuso forensic report.
Kolisi called for a “proper forensic investigation” by the public protector to investigate the alleged disappearance of millions of rands over the past six years as well as the awarding of tenders and the cost to company details of each municipal employee.
Samwu however did not believe that council should be dissolved.
Gaga said “significant strides” had been made since Yako was appointed administrator in October last year, adding that a financial recovery plan had been devised.
She said the administration had also been stabilised and a considerable amount of debt had been cleared with creditors.
Water and sanitation had been improved and some critical posts had been filled.
She however admitted continuing attachments of municipal assets by creditors, slow spending on service delivery, the lack of appointment of a municipal manager, chief financial officer, director of infrastructure and others was of concern.
Although revenue collection had improved to 83%, the cash flow situation was described as “still precarious”. The backlog of debt to Eskom and excessive overtime were still problematic. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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