Successfully effecting change in municipalities must start from the top down. This is the sentiment of minster of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Zweli Mkhize.

Speaking at the 13th National Municipal Managers Forum in Germiston, Ekurhuleni on Monday Mkhize said if municipalities must change, the municipal managers must be in the forefront of that change.

The minister’s comments come after a year of turbulence for municipalities with 87 declared dysfunctional and distressed.

Sticking to the spirit of the law

In light of this, Mkhize called on municipal accounting officers and heads of administration to ensure that the Municipal Recovery Plan succeeds.

The recovery plan includes addressing the challenges faced by municipalities such as governance, poor financial management, infrastructure and services, fraud and corruption and political meddling.

“We all know that everything happens in a ward and in a municipality. Municipal managers must take responsibility for good governance in the councils. In short, municipal managers must stick to the letter and spirit of the law to take local government to the expected level of service delivery,” said the Minister.

Infrastructure prioritised

With underspending on infrastructure cited among the challenges at municipalities, Mkhize said his department is currently focusing on 57 high priority municipalities where R57 billion is being spent to improve infrastructure.

“Returning unused Municipal Infrastructure Grants funds is tantamount to punishing poor communities. Similarly, the diversion of conditional grants to cover operational expenditure must end,” said Mkhize.

The Minister said his department is in talks with the private sector in search of funding models to accelerate the refurbishment of faulty infrastructure such as sewerage treatment plans and the connection of bulk water to reticulate water to nearby villages.