The process of appointing an administrator for the J.B. Marks Municipality is already unfolding. Once it has been completed, in line with the constitutional requirement (Section 139 (b)), the NW premier will be able to announce the name.
This is according to the NW premier’s spokesperson, Vuyisile Ngesi, who says a suitable, qualified candidate will soon be appointed to oversee the running of the municipality. The administrator will commence with their duties once the council has adopted a resolution.
Vuyisile emphasised that this will be a collaborative intervention to strengthen and support the municipality.
Last Friday, the provincial government, led by the North West Premier, Prof. Job Mokgoro and accompanied by the MEC for the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Mothibedi Gordon Kegakilwe, met with the executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo to discuss the implementation.
According to Victor Boqo, the mayoral spokesperson, the Premier established a technical committee three weeks ago to look into the implementation of Section 139 (1)(b) for the municipality. This had to comply with the executive council resolution and, most importantly, with the constitution. Friday’s meeting served as the technical committee’s report back.
“The meeting reaffirmed the executive council’s decision to intervene in the municipality under section 139(1) (b). It was in this spirit that the meeting acknowledged that the municipality had complied with the department’s directives under section 139 (1)(a) so far. However, the areas of weakness should be addressed by escalating the intervention to section 139(1)(b),” said Boqo.
The mayoral spokesperson added that the Premier had reiterated the view of the provincial government that J.B. Marks is a critical capacity municipality. “Therefore, this intervention is intended to strengthen and maintain the good work the municipality is renowned for.”
