President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered government agencies to work together in solving the problems plaguing the municipalities in the country as he believes that the corruption of the municipalities makes life difficult for the people.
Ramaphosa said that unless the problems facing the municipality are resolved, people’s lives will improve. He said this in his weekly letter addressed to the people. Ramaphosa’s letter comes after the auditor’s report which found that only 38 municipalities were able to receive reports that were clean.
This country has 257 municipalities. Ramaphosa said the auditor’s report means that different government agencies should take drastic measures. “Yes, receiving a clean report does not mean that the municipality is delivering the needs well, but the truth is that there is a relationship between receiving a good financial report and delivering the needs. Municipalities are tasked with providing people with infrastructure and delivering needs that change people’s lives.
“That is why all government agencies should cooperate in solving the problems facing municipalities. People live in unsatisfactory conditions. people deserve municipalities that will deliver.” Ramaphosa said the issue of poor performance by municipalities was at the forefront of the Presidential Coordinating Council meeting, which was held in Cape Town.
Ramaphosa said that at the meeting there was a lot of discussion about the failure of municipalities to use the money allocated by the national government.”Although many municipalities are facing a financial crisis, they fail to use the money allocated by the national government. last year 88 municipalities failed to spend at least 10% of the money allocated by the national government. This is the money they should have used to deliver needs to the people.”
Ramaphosa said another major problem facing the municipality is the failure to collect money. “The failure of municipalities to collect money leaves them with no money to deliver needs to the people. The Department of Treasury and Governance in Cooperation with Indigenous Affairs has been ordered to come up with plans to help municipalities collect money.”
Ramaphosa also revealed that they are proposing to change the way municipalities are allocated money “In these negative situations facing the people of this country and the failure of the municipalities to deliver the needs, it is important that the government agencies cooperate in solving these problems revealed by the auditor.”