Category Archives: News
Thabo Mofutsanyana names new finance watchdog head
The Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality has appointed a new chairperson for its public accounts committee as the eastern Free State local authority looks to improve management of the public purse and quicken service delivery.
Mamodupa Maria Motloung, who was a member of the mayoral committee responsible for infrastructure, was voted chief watchdog over public funds at a council meeting held on September 13.
She takes over from Malefu Vilakazi who headed the key committee before his elevation to the position of executive mayor of the municipality of more than 720 000 people.
Vilakazi took over the mayor’s job following the relocation of former mayor Balekile Mzangwa to the provincial department of health where he is chief operations officer.
Nominating Motloung, fellow ANC councillor Shashapa Motaung said her appointment was not only appropriate and progressive because she was a woman but also because she brings with her rich and vast experience in local government and public administration.
She said: “Motloung has is not the right candidate only because she is a woman but also because she has the credentials needed to chair the committee.”
Welcoming Motloung to the post of public accounts committee boss, opposition Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa leader Moeketsi Lebesa said Motloung has exhibited the kind of leadership needed to drive the key committee in the right direction.
“With your rich political background and experience in leadership we belief we are in good hands which will lead us to the right direction,” Lebesa said.
It is not the first time that Motloung is taking a high-profile public leadership task, having served before as speaker of Maluti a Phofung Local Municipality from 2006 to 2011.
At the public accounts committee Motloung is among other things in charge of ensuring municipal departments manage public funds in line with the stipulated rules and regulations, especially the Municipal Finance Management Act.
Thabo Mofutsanyana district uplifts its municipalities
The executive mayor of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Dr Balekile Mzangwa, has completed various development projects tailor-made to respond to the needs of each municipality in the district.
Mzangwa handed over a road at Nketoane municipality in Reitz last week, which was completed in less than a year. Handing over the project to Nketoane Local Municipality mayor, Masukulu Molapisi, Mzangwa said: “The district has responded to your request by constructing this road and it’s now up to the municipality to take care of it. This road must be looked after and maintained when necessary.”
He also applauded the contractors for their efficient work in constructing the road.
“The project was completed on time and it is of good quality. It is particularly pleasing to work with people of your calibre, who are accountable and responsible”.
The residents of Nketoane has benefited immensely from the project. Thirty five members of the community were employed in the project for a period of one year.
One of the residents, Lefu Sebeko, expressed pleasure at having been given an opportunity to work on the project.
“In addition to being able to put bread on the table, I have also acquired some skills that will make it easier for me to be employed whenever an opportunity arises itself. I have learnt many things; I can also become a contractor and employ others.”
Molapisi promised to take care of the road.
“We are very happy that our district has met us half way; we will make sure that we take good care of this project so that it benefits even the next generation.”
In Phumelela Local municipality, 50 street lights and oxidation ponds were handed over to Mayor Tlokotsi Motaung.
Motaung welcomed the district’s investment in the municipality. He said street lights would help in the eradication of crime.
“Nocturnal crime will now be a thing of the past,” said Motaung.
Thabo Mofutsanayana targets another clean audit
The executive mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Dr Balekile Mzangwa, has tabled a R110-million budget for the 2013/2014 financial year, with R29.5-million allocated for infrastructure development and the rest going to general service delivery expenditure.
Thabo Mofutsanyana municipality is made up of six local municipalities, namely Maluti-a-Phofung, Dihlabeng, Phumelela, Nketoane, Setsoto and Mantsopa.
Mzangwa said, guided by National Development Plan (NDP), the Thabo Mofutsanyana district was in the right direction of bringing improved and quality services to its residents.
“The fact that our district municipality has been receiving unqualified audit reports for three consecutive years is heralded as a great achievement and motivation to look forward to doing better.”
He said the district is planning to; amongst others; roll out a domestic solar energy system in the farming and rural areas.
Mzangwa allocated an amount of R75 000 to SMMEs, focusing on the formation and development of cooperatives, which are crucial in stimulating job creation. A million rand has been allocated to the expanded public works programme and R2.5-million has been earmarked for disaster management equipment to cope with frequent disasters such as veld fires, road accidents and tornadoes.
The budget was approved by all councillors except the DA’s councillors who claimed not to have had enough time to study budget as it was submitted to them late.
The leader of the Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa (DPSA), Moeketsi Lebesa, threw his weight behind the budget.
Lebesa quoted the erstwhile chief minister of QwaQwa and DPSA founder when he addressed IMF representatives who were on a visit to South Africa in 1986.
“We all want to be free, free from poverty, free from hardship, free from bounds, free from the necessity of looking to others for favours and contributions.”
He applauded Mzangwa’s leadership style, which he described as ‘hands-on and proactive’.
He went further to praise the municipality for receiving an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General for two consecutive years.
Thaba Phatswa gets sanitation services
After 20 years of living in dire situation of abject poverty with no lights and proper sanitation, the Thaba Phatswa community sighed in relief when a Good Samaritan in the name of Thabo Mofutsanyana came to their rescue.
The district municipality has injected R1.9-million toa disluging oxidation programme thatis aimed at cleaning sewage in the area.
The municipality’s communication manager, Matefu Mokoena, said the unattended sewerage spillagesthat had plagued the area for the past 20 years wereposing ahealth threat to local residents. Some of the sewerage spillage were overflowing intothe neighbouring Lesotho and had led to several civil lawsuits against the government.
Prior to the implementation of the project, Thaba Phatswa residents had to face the stench from the sewerage spillage everyday.
Finally the community of have more reasons to smile because not only has the project saved their health it has also created a lot of jobs for the unemployed local people.
Mokoena said the project has employed 71 members of the community who have been working in shifts.
“The residents started working under this project since May last year and it is expected to be completed in July this year.”
The district municipality has erected 50 solar lights in Thaba Phatswa.CouncillorJane Jacobs thanked the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality for bringing services to the people of Thaba Phatswa.
“After waiting for 20 years we were nearly giving up hope that we would never get any services in this area. The smell from the sewage was killing us, we are lucky that there are no reported health related deaths from the situation,” said Jacobs.
Jacobs has called on the government to attend to the dilapidated roads in the area.
“We hope the government can at least improve the condition of our roads. It is difficult to travel here during rainy days and some business gets discouraged to bring services to us. We also have a challenge of having one police officer taking care of more than 13000 residents.”
