A team of local government experts has been dispatched to Ventersdorp local municipality to conduct an intensive assessment on issues of governance and administration there.

This, to determine the nature of intervention needed to get it back on track.

The intervention at the municipality follows a number of protest actions by both members of the community and officials of the municipality in the past few weeks.

The former Administrator and Acting Municipal Manager at Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality, Khulu Nair, has a period of not more than two months to compile a detailed assessment report with concrete recommendations on the nature of intervention needed in Ventersdorp Local Municipality.

The assessment will look at the following factors:

• Functionality of council and its committees
• Relationship between council and administration
• Validity of council decisions
• Effectiveness of administration and senior management
• Status of service delivery
• Status of financial management
• Status of filling of senior management posts

MEC condemns works actions

At the start of this week, MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements in Bokone Bophirima, Collen Maine, met with the representatives of concerned municipal officials in a bid to resolve the impasse between council and officials.

At the meeting, officials alleged non-compliance to supply chain and recruitment processes as well as the inability by council to take a tough stance on implementation of recommendations by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA).

MEC Maine said the assessment report will enable the Provincial Executive Committee to make an informed decision on the nature of intervention needed at the municipality.

MEC Maine strongly condemned the workers’ action of forcibly removing other workers including managers from their offices.

“Irrespective of the nature of your grievances and concerns, there are proper channels to voice out your concerns. Service delivery should never be compromised,” he said.