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MEC is sent packing over financial mess

PARLIAMENTARIANS yesterday sent Free State MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Mosebenzi Zwane packing after he failed to provide proof that the province was pulling three of its municipalities out of their financial mess.

PARLIAMENTARIANS yesterday sent Free State MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Mosebenzi Zwane packing after he failed to provide proof that the province was pulling three of its municipalities out of their financial mess.

Zwane appeared before Parliament's select committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs to explain what he had done since his department took over the Thabo Mofutsanyana, Masilonyana and Nala municipalities .

The three were put under provincial administration after they landed in trouble.

When he could not provide answers the MPs demanded that he go back and send them an explanation in writing.

The committee heard that service delivery had been disrupted by squabbles between managers, mayors fighting off creditors, municipal workers going unpaid. Ghost workers added to the problems.

Thabo Mofutsanyana municipality "had virtually come to its knees". Workers had stopped working because they have not been paid.

The mayor and municipal manager were squatting full-time at the high court, fighting off creditors and Zwane, head of department Kopung Ralikontsane, told MPs

He said the financial management of Nala municipality was in total disarray. All the municipalities were now stabilising and might be able to govern themselves again in July. But when MPs heard that Zwane presided over the problems of Thabo Mofutsanyana while he was executive mayor, they lost their cool.

"What had he done to prevent these things before he was promoted to MEC?" DA MP Watty Watson asked.

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