This sad state of affairs perhaps also reflects what is wrong with the current political system and voting patterns. Take Merafong municipality for example, which is the focus in our reporting today, and its established leadership problems over the years. According to AG’s report, the municipality did not submit financial statements and regressed to adverse finding opinion.
The municipality, which covers Carletonville, Khutsong and Fochville, has a population of 197,520 residents and 55,000 of them are children.
According to statistics, about 75,000 people voted in last year’s municipal elections and 38,000 voted for the ANC, which continues to hold power even as its support is in decline. This means 38,000 people determined the fate of over the 197,000 residents. The ANC is undeniably responsible for the failure of the municipality, but what should be greatly concerning is that even when the party is at its weakest, there isn’t an alternative to challenge its hegemony.
We should start saying about voting patterns and the quality of leaders we choose to put in public service. Something needs to be done to change this picture of failure and betrayal in local government.
We should all take responsibility to ensure we don’t rely on a few people to put comrades in power and expect the delivery of electricity and water.
Municipality failures affect us all
Image: Antonio Muchave
The failure of most municipalities as reflected in the audit outcomes by auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke should worry all South Africans, not just those suffering as a result of their dysfunction.
Local government is meant to be at the coalface of delivery of services to the people and the closest sphere of government to the citizens.
However, according to Maluleke, in most instances, municipalities pay little attention to planning for service delivery, executing service delivery projects and reporting what they have done with funds allocated to them.
She further pointed to lack of improvement in municipal audit outcomes for 2020/2021 as an indictment to the entire local government accountability ecosystem. This is because the bad outcomes have become a norm in most municipalities across the country with no consequences.
Merafong residents now used to living with stench, in dark
This sad state of affairs perhaps also reflects what is wrong with the current political system and voting patterns. Take Merafong municipality for example, which is the focus in our reporting today, and its established leadership problems over the years. According to AG’s report, the municipality did not submit financial statements and regressed to adverse finding opinion.
The municipality, which covers Carletonville, Khutsong and Fochville, has a population of 197,520 residents and 55,000 of them are children.
According to statistics, about 75,000 people voted in last year’s municipal elections and 38,000 voted for the ANC, which continues to hold power even as its support is in decline. This means 38,000 people determined the fate of over the 197,000 residents. The ANC is undeniably responsible for the failure of the municipality, but what should be greatly concerning is that even when the party is at its weakest, there isn’t an alternative to challenge its hegemony.
We should start saying about voting patterns and the quality of leaders we choose to put in public service. Something needs to be done to change this picture of failure and betrayal in local government.
We should all take responsibility to ensure we don’t rely on a few people to put comrades in power and expect the delivery of electricity and water.
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