Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Erna Rossouw.
The DA in Madibeng welcomes the acknowledgment of the Speaker, Cllr Ditshego Mbedzi, that she had no authority to appoint an Acting Municipal Manager during the previous Special Council Meeting which was held earlier in July.
This acknowledgment was made during a Special Council meeting this week where it was resolved that the Executive Mayor, Cllr Douglas Maimane, write a letter to the COGTAHS MEC, Lenah Miga, to second a suitable person to serve as Acting Municipal Manager until such time as a permanent appointment can be made.
The DA objected to a 60-day request for secondment as it can lead to maladministration and Council resolved that the Mayor must submit a request to the MEC within 14 days, failing which the DA will write to the National Minister Cooperative Governance, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to intervene.
The DA posed questions during the Council Meeting, but satisfactory explanations were not forthcoming.
The DA sought clarity on the following:
• Where is the intervention of the Provincial Government in terms of Section 139(5) interventions?
• Whether the MEC was informed that Madibeng is currently operating without a Municipal Manager?
• Whether Madibeng is conducting its daily operations and functions in compliance with the Law?
MEC Miga held a workshop on Section 139(5) Financial Intervention in Madibeng, and Council approved this decision in May, however, the intervention is yet to realise and the municipality is still on the verge of financial collapse.
The DA in Madibeng is concerned about service delivery, instability, and the delay in the appointment of skilled, and qualified senior officials. We will closely monitor the appointment of a qualified and skilled Municipal Manager.