The Free State provincial government has taken control of the struggling Xhariep and Mohokare municipalities in the southern parts of the province, spokesperson Teboho Sikisi said on Thursday.
”We are taking pro-active steps here. We cannot wait until the whole municipality has collapsed.”
Sikisi said the decision to help these and other municipalities was taken during an extended ”coordinating forum”, called by premier Beatrice Marshoff this week.
It was attended by all provincial ministers, mayors, heads of departments and municipal managers.
Sikisi said the Mantsopa and Naledi local municipalities would also be helped. In these municipalities the provincial government would send senior government officials to help with the problems that had been identified.
He said the situation at the municipalities would be monitored and evaluated.
Sikisi said the support these municipalities would receive formed part of the provincial government’s ”five year local government agenda” which compelled all government departments to help municipalities in training people.
”It is quite a comprehensive programme.”
In a statement released after the meeting the provincial government indicated some of the steps that would be taken. These included filling critical management posts as soon as possible and inviting ”political intervention” where the problems were of a political nature. – Sapa