Limpopo mayors pledge to improve service delivery

LIMPOPO – In an unprecedented and bold move, all 27 mayors in the province signed a pledge to improve basic service delivery in their respective municipalities.

They have committed themselves to innovate and propose faster, improved methods to address the delivery of water, electricity, proper roads, recreational facilities, and waste removal services.

The pledge was signed during a South Africa Local Government Association (Salga) awards ceremony at the Hotel@Tzaneen on Friday. Salga Provincial Chairperson and Polokwane Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng, said residents do not like it when their municipalities are unable to account for public funds, fail to deliver basic services or employ people who are not qualified to do their jobs, which is why they decided to sign the pledge.

“Our people don’t like it when they read in the newspapers their assets are missing because of some weak asset management systems, or their assets are collapsing because of poor maintenance and operation. They don’t like when municipalities have endless administrative chaos due to key positions remaining unfilled. Another dislike is when we employ unqualified people to service them.

“They don’t like it when public funds meant for the betterment of their lives are sent back to the national treasury because their representatives in council do not have the basic capacity to do forward planning and implement projects in time and on budget. Or when they hear municipal infrastructure grant funds are sitting in municipal bank accounts unspent when they do not have clean water, electricity, proper roads and conducive sport and recreation facilities,” Nkadimeng said.

She added residents dislike when municipalities are characterised by open battles, fail to meet basic requirements of good governance by not keeping receipts of services and goods bought, don’t comply with their own supply chain management policies or incur wasteful and irregular expenditure.

Nkadimeng said municipalities have a collective budget of R30 billion to provide basic services to poor people in the province.

“Our people are patient, but when they feel they have to bring attention to the things they don’t like, they burn our cars and destroy our property, including the property of the state. If you owe Lepelle Northern Water, or Magalies Water or Eskom, make arrangements to pay them before your whole town is switched off and our communities, including those whose municipal bills are up to date, get upset with all of us,” she said.

She applauded and awarded the mayors of 13 municipalities which achieved unqualified and clean audits last year, namely Capricorn, Sekhukhune, Waterberg, Bela-Bela, Greater Tzaneen, Fetakgomo, Maruleng, Molemole, Musina, Polokwane, Thulamela, Makhudithamaga, and Lephalale.

“The leaders who continuously receive unqualified audits are not necessarily super leaders, neither are they cult heroes nor mystical figures. They are humble servants who simply get the basics right, respect processes and procedures while still getting the work done and implementing their electoral mandates. If each and every one of us could to do just a little bit more to brighten that corner where we are, a clean audit will not be a rarity, but a common possibility,” she added.

Speaking at the event, the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Makoma Makhurupetje, urged municipalities to improve revenue generation, supply chain management and internal audit functions while striking a balance between financial management and the delivery of services to local communities.

thoko@nmgroup.co.za