The DA is deeply concerned with the Department of Local Government and Human settlements’ ability to assist ailing North West municipalities. It was revealed during the first quarterly report and draft annual performance meeting that the department had only reached a mere 61% of their targeted indicators.

This is mainly due to a lack of transportation vehicles, poor performance by staff due to salary and bonus challenges; and the department’s employees participating in the local government elections which was held on 3 August.

The DA will write to Premier Supra Mahumapelo and Human Settlements MEC, Fenny Gaolaolwe, to demand that they explain the deployment of personnel during elections. We will also ask them to table a turnaround strategy to deal with issues of transportation and salary challenges within the department.

Only 10 municipalities are currently compliant with the department’s anti-corruption strategy in the province. There seems to be no political will to investigate and deal with officials who are involved in corrupt activities.

In June, the Auditor General report revealed that only 15 municipalities in the province registered a reduction in audit queries. News reports also revealed that Rustenburg Local Municipality and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality were named among the top ten worst and wasteful municipalities.

In his 2015 state of the province address, Premier Mahumapelo said that Ngaka Modiri would receive an undivided attention to bring stability in the municipality. The municipality has had various administrators, a municipal manager was deployed and yet none of their interventions has helped them to report a reduction.

The DA has been closely monitoring Premier Mahumapelo’s leadership and the state of the province since the start of the fifth administration. With emphasis on the municipalities that are under administration, water and sanitation issues, housing issues and disaster management. 

The department has changed leadership on many occasions and no one has taken responsibility of the state of chaos it is in nor has anyone tried to improve it. It is shocking that a department that is tasked with the bulk responsibility of delivering services does not have its own house in order.

The DA will continue to closely monitor their performance to ensure that they deliver services to the people of this province.

Issued by DA North West