Pretoria – The North West MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements, Galaletsang Gaolaolwe, says the newly appointed mayors and speakers of council must exercise their oversight role over administration in their respective municipalities.
Speaking at the Mayors, Executive Mayors and Speakers’ session on Friday, MEC Gaolaolwe said mayors need to ensure that issues raised by the Auditor–General do not get carried over to the next municipal audit cycle.
“This is an issue that the Auditor-General has continually raised in the municipal audit reports and as the fourth administration, it is an issue that you will have to seriously address.
“We must make sure that the Municipal Public Accounts Committees (MPAC) are properly constituted and they are given the necessary resources and space to discharge their responsibilities,” said Gaolaolwe.
The MEC called on mayors to ensure that the municipal administrations are constituted by people with the relevant qualifications and skills.
“It is time we start appointing people who will be able to assist us to deliver on our mandate of changing the lives of our people through provision of services. High vacancy rate of senior municipal managers must be resolved soon,” she said.
She further advised speakers to call regular ward meetings to update communities on developments in their localities, warning that communities rely on them to improve their lives, and if they do not always update them on service delivery issues, they take to the streets. – SAnews.gov.za
