N West municipalities experiencing service delivery challenges

Service delivery is reported to have collapsed in some of the eight municipalities which have been put under administration in the North West.

Documents seen by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) indicate that the provincial Local Government Department reported to the delegation from the National Council of Provinces last week, that most of these municipalities have not improved the situation that led to them being put under administration.

Negative audit outcomes, poor revenue collection, leading to failure to pay service providers and financial mismanagement were cited as reasons for municipalities to being put under administration.

At the Mahikeng Local Municipality, residents decry blocked sewage systems, non or delayed collection of refuse and recurring water cuts.

“There is no service delivery in Mahikeng. Our municipality is not providing services, especially here at the taxi rank. They take long to collect refuse,” says one of the residents.

Opposition parties have weighed in calling for the dissolution of the affected municipalities.

“Section 139 (1)…We’ve seen it before. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work under the ANC because after elections in the municipalities. You get the ANC councillor; you still sit with a national and provincial committee who will then deploy their people as before and we’ve seen the results of that. The devastating results of that; fraud, corruption, looting as it is unfolding in the state capture hearings. It is the same here; just on a provincial and local sphere,” says Democratic Alliance Member at National Council of Provinces Chris Hatting. Author –Jake Mokoma