The president of the South African Local Government Association, Bheki Stofile, visited Lesedi Local Municipality on July 8 to engage with municipal leadership on governance, financial management and service delivery challenges.

The working visit brought together SALGA officials, Lesedi Executive Mayor Mluleki Nkosi, members of the Mayoral Committee, the municipal manager, senior municipal officials and Sedibeng District Municipality Executive Mayor Lerato Maloka.

The purpose of the visit was to assess the municipality’s current state, discuss key governance and service delivery matters, and gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Lesedi.

During the engagement, the municipal manager presented an overview of the municipality’s governance, financial position, infrastructure development, service delivery programmes and strategic priorities.

The presentation also outlined progress made despite the financial and operational challenges confronting municipalities.

According to Lesedi Local Municipality, the SALGA delegation commended the municipality’s efforts to strengthen governance, improve financial management and continue delivering essential services despite ongoing constraints.

Stofile acknowledged the financial difficulties facing municipalities across South Africa, saying the challenges are compounded by shortcomings in the current local government funding model, which places increasing pressure on municipalities to deliver services with limited financial resources.

“Local government cannot succeed if it continues to be treated as the so-called stepchild of government. Municipalities are at the forefront of service delivery and are the sphere of government closest to the people.

“They are expected to provide water, sanitation, electricity, roads and other essential services every day, yet they continue to face growing financial pressures and increasing responsibilities without the necessary resources.

“If we expect municipalities to fulfil their constitutional mandate effectively, they must receive adequate financial support and a funding model that enables them to serve communities with dignity and efficiency,” said Stofile.

He added that strengthening municipalities requires greater collaboration between all spheres of government, sound financial management and continued investment in local government so that communities can receive reliable and sustainable municipal services.

The visit comes at a time when Lesedi Local Municipality is facing significant financial pressures, including challenges relating to its finances and ongoing efforts to stabilise service delivery.

The engagement provided an opportunity for SALGA and municipal leadership to discuss these challenges and explore ways of strengthening governance, improving financial sustainability and enhancing service delivery.