LEGISLATURE INTERVENES TO RESCUE TOWN

MPUMALANGA’S legislature on Thursday created an emergency ad-hoc committee to try and instill financial discipline in the bankrupted farm town of Ogies. The town currently owes in excess of R30-million but has been unable to restructure its accounts system due to bitter political in-fighting between councillors. The legislature ad-hoc committee will join existing efforts by the National Council of Provinces to improve discipline and management standards in the town of 50000 people. Legislature members warned on Thursday that only an urgent intervention would stave off the predicted total collapse of basic services such as water and electricity. Mpumalanga’s local government department has already being trying unsuccessfully to reform financial management in Ogies since November 1998 when Eskom objected to an R18-million unpaid account and cut bulk electricity to the town.