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A worker counts money.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has raised concerns over the dire financial crisis faced by several municipalities in Limpopo.
SALGA has also raised concerns about the political instability in hung municipalities, saying it deprives services to the residents.
The association met with municipalities in Tzaneen in Limpopo.
Through its research, SALGA says it has found that most municipalities in the province are struggling with revenue collection due to indigency.
According to the 2023 Auditor General’s report, Bela Bela, Thabazimbi, Greater Letaba, Modimolle-Mookgophong and Mogalakwena municipalities have been in dire financial distress for the last two consecutive years.
Last month, Thabazimbi Local Municipality was placed under administration after political and financial instability.
The association’s provincial director Letile Sebati says most municipalities struggle with revenue collection as they are based in rural areas.
Sebati says the association has developed a new policy to govern coalition councils which will educate councillors on how to handle coalitions.
After the 2021 Local Government Elections, services were negatively affected at Modimolle-Mookgophong and Thabazimbi municipalities as the councils were hung and unstable.
“SALGA has developed a policy that speaks to coalition governments and management. So, in that policy, one of the key issues that we will be speaking to is the political parties themselves. They need to be well-vested with an understanding of how coalitions work so that they deploy their respective political office bearers into municipalities so that there is an understanding of people who understand the requirements of a coalition.”
Some residents at Kgapane township under the financially struggling Grater Letaba Municipality say they have been without water for years.
They say the municipality has failed them with services.
“On our street, we stay with elder people, and they don’t have water, and they don’t have children to send them to fetch water. We want the municipality to fix the water shortage, they say there is a pipe that has burst but it has been like that for years now…we want water.”
SALGA has urged municipalities to utilise conditional grants efficiently to complete infrastructure projects.
VIDEO | SALGA urges 7th Parliament to prioritise revitalisation of municipalities:
