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The Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Namane Dickson Masemola led the Ministerial Oversight visit to identified District Municipalities across the Northern Cape, a commitment to improving local governance and service delivery,
Northern Cape is the third province to be visited by Deputy Minister after Eastern Cape and Free State.
The engagements began with a session focusing on ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, followed Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality.
The Deupty Minister was joined by MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Bentley Vass and district and local mayors, councilors, municipal speakers, representatives from SALGA and the CEO of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA). Together, they embarked on a mission to confront and address challenges highlighted in reports by, amongst others, the Auditor-General and COGHSTA’s own State of Local Government Report.
Setting the tone, Masemola emphasised the primary focus of these engagements as: listening to on-the-ground realities faced by municipalities. He indicated that these sessions aim to understand better the governance, financial management, service delivery, and technical capacity challenges that local municipalities grapple with.
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Mr. Bentley Vass, expressed his appreciation for Masemola’s visit to the province. MEC commended the leadership of both the provincial and district municipalities for coming together with a united resolve under the theme, “Every Municipality Must Work.”
In his address, MEC Vass emphasized the importance of municipalities delivering essential services to communities, noting that “Every Municipality Must Work” means ensuring that every resident has access to clean water, dignified sanitation, reliable electricity, and a thriving local economy that generates quality jobs. “Our goal is to promote sustainable livelihoods and create inclusive environments where all citizens can benefit,” said the MEC.
All municipalities presented each municipality’s state, followed by discussions later during the programme.
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