The ANC has vowed to take action against its mayors and councillors who fail to deliver services.
The promise to act against inept councillors was publicly made by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe on Monday following the party’s three-day lekgotla in Irene, outside Pretoria, at the weekend.
“The ANC acknowledges that many problems at local government level have to do with political tensions within the ANC and alliance. The ANC is intervening decisively to ensure that no single member of the organisation uses a public office as a tool to lobby for power and as a consequence fails to deliver,” Mantashe said.
He said the ANC would hold a one-day meeting next month to discuss its findings of the state of local government and the auditor-general’s report on the state of municipalities.
“The lekgotla agreed with the A-G’s findings that poor performance of municipalities is due in large part to minimum competencies and skills for officials in key positions in municipalities.
“Lack of consequences for poor performance is due to a failure by political leadership (mayors and councillors) to take ownership of financial and audit issues,” he said.
Mantashe said the ANC was expecting every single one of its elected office-bearers at local, provincial and national level to ensure that municipalities adhered to the Public Finance Management Act and deliver services to the people.
“The lekgotla insisted that basic services delivery of water, housing and sanitation is not negotiable… The ANC will also engage with all local municipalities and deepen the political and technical skills of public representatives,” Mantashe said. - The Star