By: Matshidiso Selebeleng
A joint parliamentary delegation, comprising members of the portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), and the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General (SCOAG), along with the North West provincial legislature, completed its three-day oversight visit to underperforming municipalities on Wednesday.
Taung, Moretele, and Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipalities were among those that appeared before the delegation due to various governance challenges, including increasing debt, poor governance, and poor service delivery.
Dr. Zweli Mkhize, who led the delegation and chairs the COGTA portfolio committee, urged the North West provincial government to use its authority to prevent these municipalities from collapsing.
“You have the authority given to you by the Constitution, and we expect you to use it,” Mkhize stated. “The people of the North West are being denied basic services because of criminality and political dysfunction.”
“Municipalities cannot continue to function effectively without clean audits, effective financial management, and political stability. Residents deserve reliable services and accountable leadership, not dysfunction and neglect,” Mkhize asserted.
North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi was further advised to create an action plan to address all ongoing governance issues. Members of his executive (MECs) were also instructed to closely monitor council decisions, ensure that investigations into maladministration are completed, and intervene decisively where councils fail to act.
Additionally, the committees demanded that detailed reports - which must include timelines and measurable targets - be submitted to parliament and the provincial legislature. They warned that continued non-compliance would lead to further interventions.
The delegation also assured that it would monitor all developments related to the directives and committed to ensuring that consequence management would be enforced so that communities receive the services they are due and to generally restore stability.
