The opposition Democratic Alliance says South Africa would save R622-million a year by dissolving district municipalities.
Speaking at the Meyerton Golf Club in Midvaal — a municipality controlled by the DA — party leader Tony Leon said the responsibilities of district municipalities should be shifted to local municipalities.
As part of his party’s local government election campaign, Leon said: ”District municipalities create a fourth level of government that costs much and does little. Money that should be spent to supply clean water, reliable electricity, waste removal and decent public health care at the local government level is being wasted on building an extra layer of bureaucracy.
”Instead of looking for experienced managers in India, the government could use former district municipality staff to fill in the gaps.”
South Africa has 46 district municipalities, of the 284 municipalities nationwide.
”At the moment, district municipalities are also facing an uncertain financial future. Until now, the districts have relied on regional service levies for income.
”In July 2006, these are being done away with, and district municipalities will have to depend on the national government. It makes more sense for money to go directly to local municipalities rather than to an extra layer of salaries, office spaces, car rentals, secretaries, staff, municipal managers and mayors.”
Leon said there is the added problem of district council members not being directly accountable to voters, ”since 60% of district council members are from local municipalities and 40% are elected by a PR vote. None report to wards.”
He said in spite of Midvaal having to battle for funding from the Sedibeng district municipality — ”which seems to favour the African National Congress local municipalities of Emfuleni and Lesedi” — the DA administration turned the area around.
”Midvaal is today one of the most successful local municipalities in South Africa. When the DA took over in Midvaal, we inherited a municipality that was in financial disarray. But we turned Midvaal around and made it into a financially viable government.”
The DA appointed an audit committee; collected municipal debts; used internal funds for capital projects and maintenance; refrained from making external loans; and used an independent process for valuating land and applying property taxes, he said.
”Midvaal also established a citizen’s advice bureau, set road closures to increase safety, and created jobs through projects such as the R59 corridor. The result is that Midvaal is now moving forward into the future — with no fraud and no corruption to report.
”In Emfuleni, by contrast, service delivery is horrendous. Traffic lights don’t get fixed, and the roads are full of potholes — unlike Midvaal’s roads, which are all well maintained.
”The [Emfuleni] municipality has been bankrupt, in fact, for several years. The municipality has to suspend dozens of officials in the past year for their alleged involvement in corruption, nepotism and kickbacks. Emfuleni has been placed under Project Consolidate and has suffered service-delivery protests.” — I-Net Bridge