Latest news with #VelenkosiniHlabisa
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Fixing South Africa's ailing municipalities: White paper on local government under review
Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said there was a need to reassess the funding model for municipalities. Image: File Picture Unethical practices, poor accountability, a broken social contract with communities and the weak integration of traditional governance systems are among the challenges facing South African municipalities. This is according to a discussion document released as part of the review of the White Paper on Local Government. The Department of Cooperative Governance has commenced the process of reviewing the White Paper on Local Government, which is expected to be completed next year. The review process will examine the funding model of municipalities and could lead to the closure of municipalities that are failing to provide services. The discussion document notes that there is reasonable concern and widespread doubt about the ability of most municipalities to perform their roles effectively. 'Manipulation and methods aimed at maintaining power and/or rapid enrichment have spread, resulting in corrupt, nepotistic, and unethical activities within municipalities. Many political leaders have continued to turn a blind eye to these practices, especially when municipal resources have been used and abused to fund party political operations and campaigns," it said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The poor relationships with citizens are also a significant issue. 'There is a large divide between many municipalities and their communities, including residential, business, university, and institutional communities. The fact that, as of 2024, households owe municipalities a staggering R230.5 billion (74% of total municipal debt) is an indicator of the broken social contract,' said the discussion document. It further noted that there was weak integration of traditional governance systems which presents both challenges and opportunities for improving citizen service delivery and community development. 'Traditional leaders, who wield significant cultural legitimacy and grassroots influence, command respect from their communities and operate alongside constitutionally mandated municipal structures tasked with democratic governance and service provision. Traditional leaders potentially have an important role to play in nation-building, promoting social cohesion, contributing to municipal integrated development plans,' it said. Municipal budgets have also borne the brunt of climate-induced disasters, with extreme weather events between 1998 and 2025 increasing emergency expenditures by 320% across South African cities. 'Flooding in Durban during the 2022 rainy season required R780 million in unplanned drain clearance and road repairs, diverting funds from scheduled housing projects. The frequency of such events has necessitated permanent budget line items for disaster response,' it concluded. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said there was a need to reassess the funding model for municipalities, pointing out that the current model—where municipalities collect 90% of revenue and other spheres of government contribute 10%—is not working. He added that the number of municipalities will also be revisited, and municipalities that are not delivering services may be dissolved. He stated, 'If a municipality is not fit to deliver services, why should we keep that municipality?' ActionSA member of Parliament Alan Beesley expressed deep concern over the worsening state of municipalities. He said poor service delivery by the municipalities not only negatively impacts the lived reality of many South Africans but also causes significant damage to the economy. 'As such, ActionSA welcomes the Review. It is important that in addressing the challenges faced by municipalities, the review does not become a waste of time and money but rather that the outcomes are pragmatic and implementable. Key challenges are the lack of governance, accountability, and consequence management. This will only change if the corrupt are put in jail and the incompetent are fired.' DA spokesperson on Cogta Marina Van Zyl stated that they welcomed the review but expressed concern that this process is yet another attempt to repackage systemic failures without a clear path to reform. 'Municipalities across the country are collapsing under the weight of poor governance, unfunded mandates, cadre deployment, and political interference. With only 13% of municipalities receiving clean audits and billions lost to fruitless and unauthorised expenditure, the rot is deep and structural. The DA believes that reform must begin with professionalised local government, strong consequence management, and electoral reform to stabilise fragile coalitions. The DA will engage with the review process constructively but firmly—advocating for reforms that give power back to communities, not to national bureaucrats,' she said. Local government expert Michael Sutcliffe said after 25 years, it was good that the white paper was being reviewed. 'We should be careful not to disrupt systems that are functioning well and should fix the things that need to be fixed.'
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
VBC requests CoGTA's immediate oversight visit to ELM
SEDIBENG.- The Vaal Business Cooperation (VBC) has written to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) requesting an oversight visit to the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM). Klippies Kritzinger, VBC CEO, has written to Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa and the CoGTA Portfolio Committee and said that, as a concerned business organisation, they are 'plagued by a municipality that has become a national disgrace'. Kritzinger said the letter (which can be seen on one of VBC's social media platforms) is an urgent call from business and residents for Parliament to intervene decisively. 'We humbly request that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance conducts a formal oversight visit to Emfuleni within 30 days from receipt of this letter, to directly witness the evidence of failure, maladministration, and outright abuse of public resources.' Collapse of basic services Refuse Collection has completely collapsed in most parts of Vanderbijlpark, Sebokeng, Sharpeville, Vereeniging, and Evaton. Illegal dumping has taken over parks, streets, and school zones. The municipality's records (Mayoral Committee minutes, March 2024) admit that 60% of refuse collection trucks are non-operational due to a lack of maintenance and poor procurement. Still, ELM proposed a 4.40% increase on a service not delivered. Sewage flows openly in residential streets, businesses, and near crèches & schools. The Sebokeng and Rietspruit Wastewater Plants are non-functional. The DWS Green Drop report (2022) ranked Emfuleni as one of the worst-performing municipalities regarding wastewater compliance nationally. The electricity infrastructure has collapsed. Multiple substations are obsolete and failing. Power outages lasting 3-7 days in some areas — unrelated to Eskom load shedding — due to a decayed grid and theft allowed by non-existent oversight are the norm. The lack of preventative maintenance and protection on electrical infrastructure is a major concern. Water provision is erratic and unreliable. In March 2024 alone, three wards in Bophelong went without water for 11 consecutive days, with no emergency supply plan. The Emfuleni water loss rate exceeds 70%, and non-revenue water is a direct cost to ratepayers. ELM proposed an increase of 15.30% to finance their inability to manage water losses. The establishment of an SPV for water and sanitation between Randwater and Metsi-a-Lekoa has not been implemented. Roads across Emfuleni are war zones. The R57 through Vanderbijlpark, Lillian Ngoyi Street in Sebokeng, and major roads in Vereeniging are filled with dangerous potholes and sinkholes. The 45 wards report more than 37 000 potholes that remain unrepaired Financial chaos and gross mismanagement Emfuleni has unpaid creditors exceeding R10b, including long-standing debts to Eskom, Rand Water, and dozens of local contractors who have not been paid for over 36 months. Every financial year, hundreds of millions in MIG (Municipal Infrastructure Grant) funds are returned unspent, as confirmed in the Auditor-General's reports. This occurred while critical projects such as sewer line upgrades and street lighting were left unfinished. The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) is defunct. It has failed to table a single oversight report since late 2022. No action has been taken against officials involved in irregular expenditure flagged in the multiple internal audits. The organisational structure is bloated and abused: The municipality has over 1 700 administrative staff, yet basic billing, building inspections, and urban planning functions are non-existent. Several employees continue to draw salaries while not attending work — a finding confirmed by an internal forensic report commissioned in July 2023. Abuse of power and public funds Councillors and senior officials are regularly attending conferences in Durban, Cape Town, at public expense, often unrelated to their portfolio responsibilities. The average trip costs the taxpayer R150 000 per delegation. Annually, the Speaker's office (overstaffed) spends millions on VIP funerals for former councillors who retired long before their deaths. There was no council resolution approving this expenditure, and no policy basis for it. Land use control and building compliance have collapsed entirely. Illegal taverns, hijacked buildings, and informal structures now dominate all 45 wards. The Land Use Tribunal seems to have been hijacked by the corruption in the Land Use Department. Due to failing infrastructure, property values & rates should decrease, but ELM proposed an increase of 4.40% on Assessment Rates. The Vaal River City and Aerotropolis development projects have stalled due to incompetence, lack of land audits, and political squabbling in the council. Investors have withdrawn, citing instability and administrative paralysis. VBC's request for immediate intervention: A parliamentary oversight visit within 30 days, with site inspections of the Pump Stations, Emfuleni landfill sites, and Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging CBD. A forensic audit of all municipal trips, funerals, and hospitality expenses from 2021. A recommendation for Section 139(1)(c) intervention — complete dissolution of the council and appointment of an administrator. That the committee summon both the Executive Mayor, Speaker of Council, and Municipal Manager to account under oath. A forensic audit on businesses owned by ELM managers & employees. The letter states that Emfuleni is not a failing and dysfunctional municipality, but it has already completely collapsed. 'It is a symbol of what happens when political corruption replaces accountability. It is no longer enough to write annual reports. The people of Emfuleni demand action, and Parliament must lead from the front.' ( VBC is NPO set up by business in Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark to uplift the Vaal by partnering with business). At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Inkatha Freedom Party seeks to reclaim Nongoma from ANC/EFF/NFP coalition
Supporters of EFF in Nongoma in red T-shirts queuing to get IFP T-shirts in a rally to welcome them. Image: Facebook The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu-Natal has vowed to reclaim Nongoma Local Municipality from the ANC/EFF/NFP coalition in the next year's local government elections. The party leadership, led by its president Velenkosini Hlabisa, welcomed close to 1 000 members who the party claimed had defected from other political parties on Sunday. The party used the welcoming to celebrate Freedom Day, which marked 31 years of democracy in South Africa. Speaking at the event, the party's national deputy secretary-general Mangaqa Mncwango said with many members of the various parties joining the IFP in big numbers daily in Nongoma, his party was already preparing to govern Nongoma Local Municipality after next year's local government elections. Mncwango, former mayor of Nongoma, said many people are questioning the rationale of a judiciary that allowed the mayor, his deputy, and the Speaker to return to the 'crime scene' after being granted bail for allegedly stealing the municipality's funds. 'People no longer trust this coalition of corruption that is running Nongoma municipality, which is why they are joining the IFP in big numbers. We will reclaim our municipality in the next year's local elections, and we will govern without a coalition,' said Mncwango. He claimed that everyone was caught off guard because the magistrate did not see the need to impose the customary restrictions that the suspects should not be permitted to be near the municipality until their case was finalised when he granted bail to Mayor Mshangane Ndabandaba, his deputy Sabelo Nkosi, and Speaker Babongile Sithole. Mncwango added that the court's decision to allow the three suspects accused of stealing municipality funds to come back and preside over the remaining funds was similar to sending back the murder suspects to the crime scene to destroy the evidence. Among the members welcomed by the IFP was Nkosi, who was forced to resign by his party, EFF, because of his alleged involvement in corruption which saw him being arrested alongside the mayor and Speaker last year. The trio was released on R5 000 bail each after spending several days in custody, however, they were allowed back to their positions. They face corruption charges. When no party received enough votes to govern Nongoma alone and Mncwango was elected mayor, the EFF joined forces with the IFP to co-govern the city following the local government elections in 2021.
