Oudtshoorn Local Municipality intervention

Meeting report

Report of the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs on notices of interventions issued in terms of section 139(1)(b) and 139(4) of the constitution (1996) in Oudtshoorn Local Municipality, dated 19 November 2015

The Chairperson pointed out that the Committee was supposed to have gone on oversight to Oudtshoorn on 4 November 2015. Unfortunately the Committee could not undertake the trip. The trip was thus postponed until 18 November 201. Due to the recent challenges at Parliament regarding the striking of parliamentary staff the trip could once again not be undertaken. The Committee came to a decision to table a Report of the Committee in relation to the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality. The Deputy Minister on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Western Cape MEC (Member of Executive Committee) for Local Government and the Administrator placed in charge of the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality had all made briefings to the Committee over the issue. It was therefore important for the Committee to adopt the Committee Report so that it could be ATC’d (Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports).

He placed the Committee Report before the Committee for consideration and proceeded to take Members through it page by page, and made a point of highlighting recommendations made by the Committee in the Report. Considering the challenges in the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality, the Committee made the following recommendations:

• The National Council of Province (NCOP) should approve the interventions undertaken in terms of section 139(1)(b) and 139(4) of the Constitution in the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality.
• The Provincial Department of Local Government should continue and accelerate the hands-on support   in the Municipality through the Back to Basics Programme to ensure the development and implementation of municipal specific action plans and the strengthening of community participation in the Municipality
• The Administrator should expedite the filling of critical vacant positions in the Municipality, especially at management level since the situation might have enormous impact upon service delivery, as there may not be experienced senior managers in key positions for planning and infrastructure. Financial management may also be weak or exposed to undue influence.
• The Committee would be conducting a follow up visit to the Municipality to determine progress on the intervention as well as progress on implementation of the Back to Basics Programme.
• The Western Cape MEC for Local Government should table quarterly progress reports to the NCOP and the Provincial Legislature on the status of the intervention in the Municipality including the termination of the intervention report.

The Chairperson also pointed out that through taking Parliament to the people concerns were also raised by the public in Oudtshoorn. He placed the Committee Report before the Committee for consideration.

The Committee adopted the Report unamended.

The meeting was adjourned.