This is according to the DA in the Provincial Legislature. MPL Leona Kleynhans and James Letuka say the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Thembeni Nxangisa has not done much to change the status quo of many municipalities in the province.

The party says the current water crisis faced in the Maluti-A- Phofung Municipality, and its escalating debt, is a "classic example of how the department continuously fails to play its oversight role." 

Coupled with the on-going financial troubles in the Qwaqwa-based municipality, Kleynhans says they last week learned of the Provincial Executive Committee’s plan to withdraw the Section 139(1)b intervention in the Masilonyana Municipality, which in their view is irrational. 

Kleynhans says the financial situation of this municipality and others placed under administration has regressed - with Nxangisa not doing much to bring about stability.

She says “service delivery is almost non-existent, with continuous water interruptions and employees striking over non-payment of salaries” in this municipality.

“On the same day that the MEC’s letter was delivered to the municipality, another letter was delivered by Eskom, informing the municipality that bulk supply of electricity will be terminated because of the debt by the municipality. Over one year under the provincial intervention, the debt to Eskom increased by 20% from R54 million to R70 million,” added Kleynhans.

Masilonyana Municipality made news in September when it was counted among the municipalities that failed to appear before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts for their financial woes. The municipality, listed by the Auditor-General as among those highly distressed, battling to generate revenue nor settle their debts, was called to account regarding its poor audit outcomes.

Kleynhans says they are awaiting for Nxangisa to give some indication of how he sees these municipalities moving forward on their own, but under worse conditions than before the intervention.

OFM News/Katleho Morapela