Battle to boost delivery failing

Infighting, lack of accountability to blame, says report

ALocal Government and Traditional affairs report damning municipalities in the Eastern Cape came under the spotlight again yesterday when it was tabled before the Bhisho legislature. The report, tabled by the portfolio committee, said that service delivery in Eastern Cape municipalities has been crippled by a lack of accountability and financial mismanagement. This is largely due to infighting and the non-filling of critical vacant posts.

Municipalities were also found to be underspending on their employment budget, with some keeping vital posts vacant.

This opens up municipalities to financial mismanagement, the report says.

Opposition parties said service delivery in ANC-led municipalities was at a near standstill because of infighting and factionalism. This had left major decisions hanging in the balance as officials were embroiled in the race to get to the ruling party’s national elective conference in Mangaung next week.

In some municipalities, officials failed to sign performance agreements.

Even municipal public accounts committees – meant to provide oversight within municipalities – were used in factional battles. This “points to non-adherence [to] the code of conduct”, according to the report.

The findings come as the ANC gave Local Government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane the green light to take control of five municipalities if nothing improved.

A proposal to invoke the constitution’s Section 139 (1)(b) for Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City Metro, Mnquma, Mbhashe and Mbizana was discussed at an ANC provincial working committee (PWC) session.

The meeting was held at the party’s King William’s Town provincial headquarters, Calata House, two weeks ago.

A Section 139 intervention essentially gives Qoboshiyane the powers to dissolve a council if it cannot carry out executive duties.

The non-filling of the municipal manager’s post in Nelson Mandela Bay was highlighted in the report, with the committee calling for a permanent appointment to be made by the end of March.

Municipalities were also receiving large sums of money from the Local Govern- ment Department without having to account for transfer payments. The committee recommended the department submit a detailed plan on how posts would be filled and how to deal with officials who failed to sign performance agreements.

Opposition parties, fed up with the “fraught” state of some municipalities, have called for more decisive action against wayward officials

DA shadow local government MEC Dacre Haddon said the problems cropped up repeatedly.

“Our concern is that we keep doing the same thing every year – officials are not brought to book for their actions, the same municipalities battle with financial mismanagement and so on,” he said.

“This all points to no monitoring or accountability and . . . communities are angry and frustrated at the poor service delivery,” Haddon said

COPE MPL Mbulelo Ntenjwa, who serves on the portfolio committee, said the political instability and two centres of power in some municipalities were “grave” concerns.

“And, more so, the fact that five municipalities are candidates for a Section 139 intervention is a serious concern.

“There just seems to be no redress.”