Minister Dlamini-Zuma concedes that ANC factionalism is hampering service delivery in NW Municipalities, but ‘will leave it at that’
2 June 2021
Note to Editors: Find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by DA NCOP Member of the North West Ad-Hoc Committee on Section 100 Intervention, Carìn Visser.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West will write to the Convenor of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT), Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, requesting her to present a plan of action on how services will be restored to municipalities across the province.
This follows the appearance of Minister Dlamini-Zuma before the Ad-Hoc Committee on Section 100 Intervention on Monday, where she conceded that ANC political infighting is paralysing service delivery within municipalities, but that she will “leave it at that”.
Her careless attitude about the water shortages, overflowing sewage and poor waste management is characteristically callous, but the fact that her apathy is not called to order, also reflects the ANC leadership’s disregard of the suffering North West residents have to endure as a result of the ANC’s failure to govern.
Since the Provincial Government was placed under Administration in terms of Section 100 under the curatorship of the IMTT in 2018, no significant improvement could be observed.
To the contrary, the unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure increased from R4.5 billion in the 2018/19 fiscal year to R5.7 billion in 2020/21.
In its progress report presented to the Committee, the appointment of the Heads of Department for Health and Social Development are regarded as “progress made”, despite the fact that these two individuals were found to be under-qualified to fill these positions.
The condition of the Local Municipalities of Kgetlengrivier, Tswaing, Ditsobotla, Ramotshere Moiloa, Ratlou, Matlosana and the District Municipality of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, are listed as “critical”.
The Minister admitted that these seven municipalities are in ICU due to the ANC factionalism, but offered no solutions on how the instability in Local Government would be addressed.
The rule of law is being ignored to the extent where the courts have become the decision makers over the fate of municipalities, as in the cases of Tswaing and Ditsobotla, which clearly displays the IMTT’s failure in its intervention and oversight role.
The IMTT’s poor oversight and lack of decisive interventions, together with the systemic rot of nurtured fraud and corruption in the Provincial Legislature pushed already poor performing municipalities over the edge.
The purpose of the intervention was to achieve overall improved governance within provincial departments and municipalities to enable them to deliver the services they are constitutionally obliged to.
Given the current state of the Provincial Government, this outcome has not been reached.
It is now time for the ANC to step aside so that the DA can get things done.
Issued by Carìn Visser, DA NCOP Member of Ad-Hoc Committee on Section 100 Intervention, 2 June 2021
