The beleaguered municipality has not been fulfilling its constitutional mandate of servicing the people.
The DA in the JS Moroka local municipality in Siyabuswa this week welcomed the decision to place the municipality under administration.
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane Friday 17 January 2020 announced her government had invoked section 139 that allows her to assume all responsibilities at the municipality – a piece of law that gives Tsipane’s provincial government the powers to place any municipality under its control if that “municipality cannot or does not fulfill an executive obligation”.
DA councillor Thapedi Mokoala said the municipality continued to be “dysfunctional” and continued protests about poor service delivery, maladministration and corruption the past 9 months and ANC political infighting had in effect collapsed it.
“We call on the MEC of co-operative governance, Mr Mandla Msibi, to conduct a full investigation into the maladministration and corruption by executive mayor councillor Thulare Madileng,” Mokoala said.
Mtshweni-Tsipane’s spokeswoman Sibongile Mkani-Mpolweni said the placing of JS under administration follows “instances of administrative and leadership challenges leading to community unrests, making it impossible for the municipality to perform its constitutional mandates and deliver basic services to the community”.
Both Madileng and Kubheka have been engaged in battles since at least last year April, with Kubheka as municipal manager defying Madileng as mayor – while also the courts being used to try find solutions to their battles.
Mpolweni said Tsipane’s intervention is the result of the failure by the municipality to submit records or documents of their work to upper structures, such as to the auditor-general, provincial treasurer, parent municipality, etc, – especially with regards to issues of tenders.
“It hasn’t also met its obligation to comply to the circular 62 of the municipal financial management act that requires municipalities to develop annual procurement plans,” said Mpolweni.
“Municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) records also indicate that the municipality has recorded under-expenditure in its grant allocation,” she said, adding the municipality “has ceased to function effectively, owing to divisions within the municipality”.
“The above factors and the need to ensure consistent delivery of services necessitate the intervention by the provincial Government in accordance with section 139(1)(b) of the constitution,” Mpolweni said.
ALSO SEE: Kubheka puts JS Moroka municipality “in state of paralysis” – Madileng
(edited by ZK)
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