sanews - 3 days ago

National Dialogue key to better municipal governance, Mashatile Deputy President Paul Mashatile has addressed several challenges facing municipalities, including corruption, financial mismanagement, and instability within coalitions, emphasising that the National Dialogue offers a significant opportunity to enhance governance. In response to oral questions about his responsibilities during a session in the National Assembly on Thursday, the Deputy President stated that a comprehensive strategy is essential for municipal transformation. He told Members of Parliament (MPs) that government is actively pursuing systemic reforms through the National Dialogue and targeted interventions. Deputy President Mashatile cited reports from the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), which identify corruption, financial mismanagement, a lack of administrative capacity, and insufficient accountability as critical issues hindering municipal performance. “All of which impede service delivery, among other challenges. We have also observed that coalition arrangements at the local government level often result in instability and compromised governance in those affected municipalities. As a result, we have decided to convene a National Dialogue.” In August this year, a National Dialogue was convened to address these challenges, establishing key principles such as putting people first, combating poverty, building a prosperous economy, and promoting good governance. “As part of my responsibility to support the President in the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM), we continue to coordinate all spheres of government to improve municipal performance and to address community concerns. “In this regard, I have been visiting and interacting with municipalities to have a full appreciation of governance challenges and service delivery blockages.” According to Deputy President Mashatile, government is also strengthening support initiatives and interventions to address water-related challenges, infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. In June this year, government launched a Clean Cities, Towns and Villages Campaign in Kliptown, Soweto, in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). The campaign is a nationwide initiative, aimed at promoting a cleaner environment and improving service delivery. “We continue to encourage communities to take charge in the cleaning of their cities, towns and villages as part of the government response to local government challenges.” He also believes the ongoing review of the 1998 Local Government White Paper, and the proposed Public Service Commission Bill, demonstrate a commitment to creating a more responsive and effective local government system. In May this year, the municipal audit outcomes for 2023/24 were released. The audit found that only 140 municipalities, which is 55%, achieved either unqualified or clean audit outcomes. This is a modest increase from 34 to 41 clean audits. “It is worth noting, as it reflects an improved level of commitment of municipal leadership and officials to uphold financial discipline, internal controls and consequence management, while several municipalities in the Western Cape are doing well in terms of audit outcomes. It is important to note that there is a significant and persistent disparity between the well-being of many residents residing in the township and the informal settlement of the province of the Western Cape. – SAnews.gov.za Gabisile Thu, 10/30/2025 - 15:23 55 views

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