Central SA
Government tighten grip at ailing Kopanong Municipality─── LUCKY NKUYANE 15:16 Wed, 10 May 2023
The government has tightened its grip on issues of administration at the troubled Trompsburg-based Kopanong Local municipality in the Free State by putting the municipality under a new section of the government's care, following its financial woes.
ALSO READ: Ailing Free State municipality placed under administration
The deputy minister, Paul Mashatile, revealed this whilst addressing residents at Jagersfontein on Tuesday 9 May 2023. His visit to the town was to perform a service delivery oversight within Kopanong. The municipality finds itself troubled by varying factors, including low revenue collection, huge wage bills, and a lack of good service delivery. The troubled municipality is also heavily indebted to service providers such as Bloem Water.
Mashatile previously said the government is concerned with the state of affairs at Kopanong.
Mashatile says, whilst addressing members of the National Assembly, that the 2021 State of local government report identified the municipality as a service delivery hotspot and a dysfunctional municipality.
He says the situation in these municipalities calls for an urgent intervention by all spheres of government. This will be in line with the practical illustration of the district development model. Mashatile told members during the question and answer session that there needs to be improved service delivery at the local government level.
“The government is embarking on several turnaround methods, amongst this is ensuring the necessary speed in an initiative that is aimed at ensuring that all citizens have access to reliable water services and embarking on necessary water conservation measures," Mashatile added.
The ousted Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela, says the municipality has a month-to-month salary bill of at least R12,2 million whereas they can only collect a mere R2,5 million in revenue. She says that this troubled municipality owes the South African Revenue Services, Eskom, and Bloem Water more than R500 million.
This is the same municipality that was hit by a disaster in Jagersfontein when the mine wall collapsed on 11 September 2022. Houses, cars, and infrastructure were destroyed by the mudslide which came from the mine dam.
The disaster also claimed the lives of two people, with one still missing. Scores were injured and over 200 people were displaced or homeless after more than 100 houses were destroyed.
