Hold those in public office accountable

A DAMNING report last week reflecting the crumbling state of affairs at the uMkhanyakude District Municipality has done little or nothing to instill voter confidence in a region plagued by mismanagement at local government level.

As eligible voters optimistically registered during the weekend to ensure they are able to elect councillors later this year, one needs to evaluate if the local government ship is a model worth emulating.

Truth be told, this particular tier of government has had its fair share of glaring problems, from incompetent appointees, financial mismanagement to illegal awarding of tenders, nepotism – the list goes on.

The intervention mechanisms, however, have proven futile and what we see today is a repetition of maladministration and corrupt practices at more municipalities across the country.

The sad reality though is that service delivery has become virtually non-existent in many impoverished areas of Zululand.

Take the uMkhanyakude District for example, where ordinary citizens have no access to water. The root cause of the water shortage can be ascribed to financial mismanagement as well as the lack of water and sanitation maintenance programmes.

According to a report leaked to the Zululand Observer last week, 80% of all water and waste water treatment plants were dysfunctional.

The irony, however, is that Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding stands untouched at R108-million owing to gross under-expenditure and the municipality runs the risk of losing this capital.

The sad fact is that there is water in uMkhanyakude, but it cannot be delivered to communities and households. So the question remains – who do we hold accountable for this blatant municipal conundrum?

If municipalities continue to hire incompetent staff at management level who are unable to maintain fiscal policies and ensure good governance, we will sadly see more municipalities plunging into a state of collapse.

As we approach another local government election, with flowery speeches, food parcels and empty promises showered again on the humble electorate, we need to see tangible service delivery. And if we don’t see it, performance bonuses should not be paid.

Voters have a right to hold elected officials and councillors accountable for such municipal mess ups.