Madibeng roasted in national media
The struggling Madibeng municipality again made the national news headlines, again for all the wrong reasons. The lack of service delivery and incompetence are the main reasons for all this negative attention.
They only arrive at the office at 10:00 and leave at 15:00.
– Rapport
Rapport (31 March 2024) reports that Good Governance Africa (a research and non-profit organisation that focus on improving governance across Africa) announced that Madibeng is one of the worst managed municipalities in South Africa (189th out of 205 local municipalities). Some of the reasons for this poor ranking, according to Leon Basson, DA Northwest leader, is that there were seven acting municipal managers over the last few years, four years since the last permanent municipal manager and that the municipality is regularly under some form of administration. “For the last ten years the municipal manager does not live in Brits, but in Pretoria. The directors as well. They only arrive at the office at 10:00 and leave at 15:00. They simply lock their doors,” according to Basson.
Brazen fraud, theft, corruption and irregularities.
– City Press
City Press (24 March 2024) published an article “Madibeng municipal officials pay for groceries, DSTV and clothing accounts with taxpayers’ money”. The article states that “the brazen fraud, theft, corruption and irregularities in the Madibeng Municipality have left it almost on its knees.” The article uses several forensic reports as the source that revealed corruption involving senior officials, with no action taken against them. “Despite the shocking findings, several of the forensic reports are gathering dust, with no action taken against those identified for wrongdoing.”
Noordwes rade is vrotste in Suid Afrika.
Beeld
Beeld (2 April 2024) published an article titled “Noordwes-rade ‘is vrotste in SA’, reporting that Madibeng is rated the worst secondary municipality in South Africa.
Irregularities continue to be characteristics of Madibeng – Mayor.
Power FM
During a live interview on Power FM (27 March 2024) the Executive Mayor of Madibeng, Douglas Maimane, admitted that irregularities continue to be characteristic of the Madibeng administration but assured residents that work is being done to elevate these problems. He said that several cases are being investigated by the HAWKS.
Blowing the lid off failed projects at Madibeng.
– Newsroom Africa
Newsroom Africa televised an interview with Madibeng EFF leader Sarah Mohale (25 March 2024) in what Eyewitness News called “Blowing the lid off failed projects at the Madibeng municipality. Some of the issues pointed out in the interview were the fire station in Letlhabile and a stadium in Mmakaau that are run down and not in use due to financial problems in the municipality and a road project that remains unfinished in Hebron.
My soul is tired – disgruntled community member.
– Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News broadcast a video (25 March 2024) titled “ My soul is tired’ – Disgruntled community on the abandoned million-rand projects in Madibeng”. In the video Madibeng is referred to as “one of South Africa’s worst-run municipalities. During an interview Douglas Maimane (Madibeng mayor) said that the issue (the abandoned projects) “is about consequence management. That is an area where we are lacking. We have not fired any officials for failing to do his or her duties. We have a history of bad audit opinion”.
Kormorant requested a reply from the municipality regarding the allegations published in the national media.
Madibeng replied:
Madibeng Local Municipality notes the announcement by Good Governance Africa, however it should be noted that the Municipality has in recent times made significant progress as far as the issues of governance and broader service delivery are concerned.
Among the examples, the latest audit opinion is different from the past years. The Municipality registered some improvement from the disclaimer to adverse and we should be able to build from such progress moving forward.
It should also be noted that the Municipality has filled all posts for Senior Managers with exception of the Municipal Manager as the matter relating to this vacancy still in court. The Municipality views the filling of the said posts which are critical in nature as significant development that will take the Municipality forward and produce a sound administration.
On the service delivery front the Municipality has registered good progress in the implementation of various service delivery projects funded through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) like the roads rehabilitation/resealing in all townships, Oukasie, Mothotlung, Damonsville and Letlhabile, the taxi rank in Oukasie and the library in Mmakau among others.
Plans are underway to implement projects like the refurbishing of the Brits Fire Station and the second phase rehabilitation of roads in the mentioned townships and many other projects.
By the end of February, the Municipality was sitting at a satisfactory 60% for MIG expenditure against other financial years where we sat at low percentage.
Allegations that Directors report for duty at 10H00 and leave at 15H00 are unfounded. About their places of residence, is there any Municipality that recruits Senior Managers based on locality or jurisdiction?
Where they stay should be irrelevant, what is important is that they are delivering what is expected of them.
