The budget vote speech for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) was held on 29 July.
Mr Bosman Grobler, provincial spokesman of the DA in Mpumalnga, delivered a speech, addressing the speaker and members in the legislature.
According to him local government is the face of service delivery in the lives of ordinary South Africans.
It is here where the perceptions regarding government delivery is formed and where residents get angry most often at conditions within communities.
Mpumalanga has witnessed an escalation of service delivery protests because of government’s delivery failure over the past years.
Mr Grobler said municipal governance is in a state of crisis with once flourishing towns deteriorating to the point of collapse.
He gave examples of poor performance in local government where three municipalities in Mpumalanga are among Eskom’s top seven debtors.
The Lekwa Municipality owes Eskom R140 million, Thaba Chweu owes R185 million and eMalahleni owes R300 million.
This points to the extent to which the ANC government section 139 interventions have failed.
All three these municipalities have been or are under administration.
He also said the ability to deliver clean drinkable water is set to become a humanitarian crisis and urgent action is required.
“Lekwa is facing a massive water crisis and the inability of municipalities to bring about a better life for residents is exacerbated by the repeated appointment of incompetent and unsuitably qualified officials.”
Only two municipal managers and three CFOs comply with the National Treasury minimum competency guidelines.
“A renewed commitment to that better life must come first and not the selfish interest of individuals or a political party.
“We can and must make local government in Mpumalanga work,” Mr Grobler said as well.
