MBOMBELA – Public consultative meetings with stakeholders on the municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) continue this week.
These annual meetings are held with the community to prioritise service-delivery issues in various municipal wards. They are used to compile a list in terms of available budget, with the municipality prioritising certain issues. This is reported back to stakeholders before being drafted into the municipality’s 2014/15 budget.
“They are going through the motions since it is part of compliance with financial regulations,” explained DA ward councillor Mr Werner le Grange.
However, when considering the municipality’s past performances in delivering on their targets, Le Grange said the IDP was not worth the paper it was written on. “The municipality lacks the capacity to implement its projects and budget.”
In its report on the municipality’s 2012/13 finances, the Auditor General found that only 55 per cent of the total planned targets were achieved.
The municipality’s annual report showed that the technical services unit, which was responsible for implementing infrastructure projects, faced challenges such as the non-sitting of bid committees, late payment of service providers due to a cash-flow crisis, delays in the procurement process, a pressing demand on the operation and maintenance of water and sanitation, a lack of personnel, the late approval of specifications delaying advertisements or appointments, and inadequate staff. In the same report, it was noted that the unit had 119 vacant funded positions.
To date in this financial year, MLM has underspent its municipal infrastructure grant to such an extent that National Treasury is withholding R115 million of it for the rest of the year.
At the same time, the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA), tasked with implementing the province’s bulk-water infrastructure, recently noted that in Mbombela, a project had stalled due to a lack of funds. It said that the project design for the Nsikazi South/Karino Scheme treatment works had been completed but a contractor could not be appointed due to a budget shortfall.
In the meantime, the municipal manager, Mr Sello Ditshego, who is in an acting position, has been appointed only until the end of this month. The chief financial officer is also still in an acting position, after nearly a year.
At the time of going to press, Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the municipality, had not been reached for comment.
To see what has been planned for Mbombela for 2014, follow this link: IDP Final Draft 2014-2015.
