Municipalities will come under scrutiny in Gauteng when Members of Parliament in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) conduct oversight visits in the province this week to assess the delivery of services.
China Dodovu, chairperson of the select committee on Cogta, said their oversight visit was necessitated by the importance of the local government sphere in delivering quality services to the people.
‘’We have, over time, witnessed consistent negative municipal audit reports that negatively impact abilities of some municipalities to deliver services.
“Also, after the 2019 local government elections, there has been an increase in political instability within this sphere, directly impacting on service delivery.
“Effective oversight will be critical to strengthen this sphere and ensure quality services to the people," Dodovu said.
The oversight visit was scheduled to take place earlier this year but had to be postponed due to clashes with other parliamentary activities.
Dodovu said the committee noted that this week was an opportune time to conduct the oversight visit.
The MPs will visit Emfuleni Local Municipality, Ekurhuleni, the City of Johannesburg and the City of Tshwane.
Dodovu also said the committee would use the visit to assess the impact of various interventions made at Emfuleni Local Municipality.
“Both Ekurhuleni and City of Johannesburg Metropolitan municipalities have experienced political instability over time, and that created a negative environment, which is antithetical with the promotion of service delivery.
“The committee will also assess the extent to which this political instability has affected service delivery to both municipalities and see the need for further interventions.”
He said the City of Tshwane has, in the recent past, raised challenges with its financial position and various service delivery issues that led to its dissolution previously.
The recent outbreak of cholera in the municipality has called for urgent attention to challenges facing the municipality.
“The committee is driven by its preoccupation that the municipalities exist to deliver services to the people, and that must take place,” Dodovu said.
Cape Times