Premier Job’s job bound by red tape

North West premier Job Mokgoro has complained to parliament about the national government’s control of his province, telling MPs the tedious process of consulting often resulted in “a waste of time”.

Mokgoro laid out his frustrations during a meeting with parliament’s committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) on Wednesday.

The North West government was put under administration by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018. Two-thirds of municipalities in the province are also under administration.

Mokgoro said this had led to unnecessary layers of bureaucracy. He was defending himself against criticism by MPs, who said his government was dysfunctional.

“In addition to imposing section 100 [of the constitution] and deploying managers from Gauteng, you appoint a new premier and immediately … you tie his legs and arms and you say, ‘now compete, run and fix’,” said Mokgoro.

“How do you expect that to happen? “Every time I take a decision at exco or wherever, I need to go wrestle and get concurrence or permission. You can imagine the time that is wasted.”

He said there were often delays in getting responses from administrators who form part of the North West intervention team.

A member of the North West provincial legislature, Aaron Motswana, who leads the provincial Cogta committee, said there were “selective interventions” in municipalities.

The North West government and ANC structures are plagued by factionalism.

“Intervention in our province becomes selective and you wonder what is it that the province is protecting in municipalities such as Ngaka Modiri Molema

[Mahikeng]?” said Motswana.

“Cogta has intervened in municipalities governed by people who are necessarily gangsters. Now you wonder, are the gangsters in Rustenburg or Matlosana better than other gangsters in other municipalities?”

The Ngaka Modiri Molema municipality incurred irregular ePxpRenditure of R1.6bn in the 2018/2019 financial year. It was one of nine municipalities selected for the implementation of the amendments to the Public Audit Act for that financial year, but its audit had not been finalised by the cutoff date of the auditor-general’s report.