Shongwe’s back
"There's a long road ahead of us and many people would think we are geared up for the upcoming local government elections, but were looking beyond the elections, because the lives of our residents and the people we serve are beyond the elections,"
Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Ms Refilwe Mtshweni, has withdrawn her decision to swap the municipal managers of Govan Mbeki and Msukaligwa.
Two months ago, the MEC ordered a transfer of the two officials in a bid to ensure administrative stability and strengthening relations within the municipalities. This move was not well received by the DA.
The DA has once again lashed out at the MEC, saying she had no authority and it was not her place to swap the municipal managers. In an e-mail to the Highvelder, the DA said Mtshweni should have left this responsibility to the mayors after consultation with her office and the Premier of the province.
The DA went on to explain that the recent Auditor-General (AG) report tells a sad story of financial mismanagement, weak political leadership, unqualified and incompetent officials in both municipalities.
In an exclusive interview with the newspaper on Monday, a visibly upbeat Mr Zwelihle “Sabatha” Shongwe said he was not fazed by any of this. He said it actualy felt good to come back to Msukaligwa and added that the experience he gained during his short stay in Govan Mbeki Municipality was invaluable.
“There are certain things I would want to implement here in Msukaligwa in terms of how we approach the same challenges which Govan Mbeki has dealt with much better,”said Mr Shongwe.
He also said organisationally, there were systems already put in place in Govan Mbeki which he thinks will place the municipality in a better position.
When asked about his return in Msukaligwa, he said it was good to be home, as he missed the municipality. He is geared up to achieve what the municipality has set out to achieve. Mr Shongwe and Mt Mmela Mahlangu, from Govan Mbeki, regularly communicate about how matters are progressing in the two municipalities.
“There’s a long road ahead of us and many people would think we are geared up for the upcoming local government elections, but were looking beyond the elections, because the lives of our residents and the people we serve are beyond the elections,” said Mr Shongwe.
Speaking about the AG’s recommendations for 2014/15 financial year, Mr Shongwe said he disagreed with the notion that Msukaligwa Municipality is not doing well.
“If you read the previous reports, the errors of previous years are predominant. The AG was satisfied with our progress in the 2014/15 financial year, but we were disclaimed for previous errors with matters stemming from 2010/11, which we are trying to resolve,”explained the Municipal Manager.
Mr Shongwe also voiced his concerns about the non-payment for services, referring to more than R300 million owed to the municipality by residents.
“This could have been used to deliver better service and improve the lives of the people,” he said
He also posed a challenge to Council to improve their working relations and communication with the business community, as they play a key role in the local economy.
When asked about the vacant Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position, Mr Shongwe said the position would be filled soon.
In conclusion Mr Shongwe said everyone needed to play their role and called on the community to assist the municipality by paying for services, as this would make planned improvements possible.
He confirmed that the municipality has kept its commitment to pay its debt to Eskom.
Attempts for comment from the MEC on her reasons for reversing her decision to swap the municipal managers were unsuccessful, as requests for information were not answered.
