Coalitions have a tough time performing
Hung municipalities contributed to turbulence in a number of Gauteng municipalities in the year following the local government elections, Paul Mashatile said. The Gauteng MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs said, however, that despite instability, there had not been a deterioration in service delivery.
Hung municipalities have contributed to turbulence experienced at a number of Gauteng city councils in the year following the local government elections, Paul Mashatile says.
However, the Gauteng MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs said that despite the instability due to the hung municipalities, there has been no indication of deterioration in service delivery since the elections in 2016.
The ANC lost power in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Mogale City in Gauteng, after being punished at the ballot box. Tshwane and Johannesburg are still governed by DA-led coalitions, while the ANC succeeded in getting Mogale City back under its control.
Mogale City has had two mayors as the city battled to pass its budget, which it eventually did with support from the EFF. Now those EFF council members who helped the ANC to pass the budget face disciplinary proceedings.
Ekurhuleni, which is governed by an ANC coalition, is also a hung municipality in which there is no clear majority.
GOVERNANCE
“In terms of governance broadly, I can say Gauteng municipalities remain the best in the country, but we are concerned about some instability because of the situation of hung municipalities,” he said.
The fact that many councillors in Gauteng’s municipalities were new, created a challenge in terms of councillors not understanding the rules and how to operate in councils, Mashatile said.
Asked if the province was expecting its audits to take a hit for the 2016-17 financial year in which the new councils took over, Mashatile said he had not picked up anything from the auditor-general that suggested deterioration or that any audits would need disclaimers.
For the financial year 201516, Gauteng received unqualified audits in all of its municipalities.
Some municipalities had major issues, especially with regard to revenue collection, Mashatile said.
These include Emfuleni and the newly established Rand West Municipality.
“No municipalities are in a worse situation, but we are watching all of them,” he said.
On his working relationship with the DA mayors in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Midvaal, Mashatile, who is also ANC provincial chairman in Gauteng, said he had received a lot of cooperation at leadership level from the respective mayors.
“I think there is a general understanding that at the end of the day, it is about serving the people,” Mashatile said.
He said that political differences were put aside to make sure communities were served.