News24 reports that information that came to light in a parliamentary reply last week revealed that not only are SA’s municipalities in a financial and political mess, but they also appear to be led by incompetent officials.
Out of 2,747 senior municipal officials, only 1,500 met minimum competency levels, acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni revealed when replying to a question from DA MP Cilliers Brink. Prescribed minimum competency levels were introduced 13 years ago for municipal managers, CFOs, supply chain managers and other managers working in finance and procurement divisions. It also emerged out of Ntshavheni's reply that only 128 of the country's 248 chief financial officers (CFOs), namely the men and women in charge of municipal finances, achieved minimum competency levels. And, only 53% of all municipal senior managers met minimum competency levels, Ntshavheni added. She indicated that there were several programmes aimed at professionalising municipalities. "Substantial resources have been made available towards capacity-building programmes and skills development. The government has allocated R6.6 billion to support municipalities in respect of capacity building and municipal administration. The money will be allocated during the 2020-21 and 2022-23 financial years,” Ntshavheni advised.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24
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