This, as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Thembeni Nxangisa, is expected to table his department's 2021/22 budget. After having to answer tough questions over ailing municipalities before Legislature's Standing Committee of Public Accounts and Finance, Nxangisa will on Wednesday have to outline his plan to improve local government and service delivery in the province. 

Finance MEC Gadija Brown last week allocated more than R416 million to the department to help ailing municipalities.

Brown, in her budget speech, announced that the department will, amongst other necessities, have to ensure the improvement of audit outcomes, the establishment of water laboratories in municipalities, and make provision for the House of Traditional Leaders.

She confirmed the state of municipalities in the province is still a major cause for concern and that challenges experienced in many municipalities are aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following concerns over the water crisis in Dihlabeng, Maluti-A-Phofung, and many other municipalities that were raised by opposition parties in the Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, Nxangisa is today expected to outline plans on how to address the issue. This, coupled with questions over escalating Eskom debt, lack of leadership in municipalities and allegations of corruption.

OFM News