Mayors of Limpopo Municipalities that deposited funds in the VBS Mutual Bank will this week update Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Dr Zweli Mkhize, on remedial action into the debacle.
The report back follows a 19 June meeting between Mkhize and the said Mayors.
“The municipalities have been asked to submit a report on plans to mitigate the impact of the debacle including remedial action to be taken against officials and any other person that may have transgressed the law,” the department said in a statement on Sunday.
The meetings will form part of the Minister’s two-day oversight visit to the province where he is set to deal with a raft of Cogta matters. Also topping the agenda will be the interventions in the province’s seven distressed municipalities.
Minister Mkhize’s visit to Limpopo is part of a call by government that municipalities needed to go back to basics and do what communities expect.
This included the filling of vacancies in strategic positions with qualified, competent and experienced professionals, improve financial management. Infrastructure development and maintenance, promote good governance and ethical leadership as well as putting people and their concerns first in their work, was also included.
Minister Mkhize identified 87 municipalities that are either distressed or dysfunctional and seven of these are in Limpopo. The department in June vowed to all distressed municipalities that by the end of this year they would receive support from dedicated teams.
Vhembe, Mopani DM (both district municipalities) Thabazimbi, Musina, Mogalakwena, Fetakgomo – Tubatse and Modimolle – Mookgopong (all local municipalities), were identified by Cogta as Limpopo’s distressed councils.
The department on Sunday said the objectives of the visits were to identify critical and priority challenges for ministerial intervention. During the visit, root causes of identified challenges will be discussed in detail and concrete intervention proposals will be proposed.
“The Minister is also scheduled to meet with the political leadership of Collins Chabane and Vhembe Municipalities to engage on the Vuwani demarcation impasse,” the department said.
The Minister is also scheduled to meet with the leadership of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. - SAnews.gov.za
