LIMPOPO – Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba demanded accountability from municipal managers amid concerns over municipal performance across the province, rejecting their excuses that political interference is to blame.

She said municipal managers should be able to make resolutions that assist and guide politicians in the right direction.

“I’m not talking about mayors; I’m talking about you, the MMs, and your CFOs. The expenditure is not a result of your mayors because every time you fail to spend, you conclude that there is political interference,” she said.

Ramathuba was speaking during a recent ministerial visit to Giyani, aimed at assessing municipal performance in the Mopani District Municipality and exploring ways to support struggling municipalities. She urged officials to strive for independence and make decisions free from political influence.

“I know that, as an MM, you went for an interview and even took a competency test. You demonstrated how good and brilliant you are. One of the questions asked during the interview was, “How do you work under political pressure?” she said.

“Many of you here score 10 out of 10, saying no one would exert political influence on you when making decisions. But when it comes to implementation, you turn around and say, ‘No, the reason we couldn’t spend is because of political interference,’” she said.

She went further, warning municipal managers that succumbing to political pressure was a bad idea. “At the end of the day, we are going to hold you accountable as municipal managers because it is your responsibility to guide the political leadership on how to spend,” she said.

She also cautioned municipalities against becoming complacent with their Auditor-General (AG) audit outcomes to the point where they see no need for improvement. She noted that some municipalities have been receiving unqualified audits for five years and have grown comfortable with failing to strive for a clean audit.

“In terms of your audit outcomes, which I reviewed recently, I still maintain that I have a problem with those who have remained stagnant on an unqualified audit,” she said, emphasising that all municipalities should work towards achieving a clean audit.

Meanwhile, while some mayors in the district presented their municipalities as stable, Giyani Mayor Thandi Zitha painted a different picture. Presenting the state of the Greater Giyani Municipality, she expressed concern that things were not going well.

She attributed the instability to infighting among council members, particularly ANC members, which has made it difficult for the municipality to make decisions during council sittings. “I want to state clearly that the municipality is not stable due to disagreements,” she said, referring to the ongoing internal conflicts within the ANC as the party rushes to elect new executives following the expiration of the current leadership’s term.

“We cannot even hold a successful council sitting because every time we convene, the focus shifts to removing either the mayor or the municipal manager. As a result, we fail to make meaningful decisions,” she added.