Councillors and the administration were urged to implement the proposed solutions.
THE DISCRETIONARY financial recovery plan for the Phokwane Municipality was handed over as part of its turn-around strategy during a council meeting on Thursday.
The municipality was dissolved in May 2020 due to administrative, political and service delivery challenges.
The municipal manager, that was seconded to the municipality to stabilise the administration, was forcefully removed, the chief financial officer resigned in 2017 and the contract of the director for technical services also came to an end.
Spokesperson for the municipality, Kgalalelo Letshabo, said the executive committee of council (Exco) held its ordinary Exco meeting on Thursday where the HOD for the Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Bafedile Lenkoe, handed over the the discretionary financial recovery plan to the mayor, Olebogeng Tumodi.
“The plan came about after the municipality was experiencing significant governance, financial and service delivery difficulties. The first step in the financial recovery process was a diagnostic assessment to determine the crisis from yesteryear before the dissolution of the previous council.”
She indicated that the pillars of governance, institutional, financial management and service delivery would be utilised as part of the financial recovery plan.
“Council was advised to expedite the appointment of the municipal manager and section 56 managers, including the technical director, chief financial officer and community services manager.”
Handing over the plan, Lenkoe recommended that council should treat the plan like a bible for the municipality and legacy of Phokwane.
“Councillors and administration should use it as a guideline and appoint officials to fill the posts of the municipal manager and section 56 managers with the relevant qualifications and requisite skills to ensure that service delivery is accelerated and human resource issues are addressed.
“Councillors were reminded that they should lead by example by also paying for their services to generate revenue collection so that the municipality does not depend on grants.”
Tumodi urged councilors and the administration to implement the proposed solutions, including implementing an effective management system, introducing contract management best practice, developing and implementing a policy governing irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in accordance with Municipal Finance Management Act.
