The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province has learned with disappointment that nine municipalities have lost their conditional grants due to their poor performance.

This money amounts to more than R340m, which would have gone a long way in providing the necessary services to the people of the North West.

These grants are funds which have been earmarked to improve service delivery for the people of the province and to make sure that they have access to basic services.

Among the municipalities, the Madibeng Municipality was mostly affected as it has lost money to the tune of R145m. The biggest chunk of this amount was allocated to the municipal infrastructure grant.

This loss of money by the municipalities is disappointing considering that the province has a serious service delivery deficit. The province cannot afford the municipalities’ uninspiring performance to persist any further.  

As COSATU we view this as lack of capacity from those who have been deployed to ensure that services are delivered to the people of the province.

We also view this as dereliction of duty by those who have been employed to provide services. 

COSATU calls for consequence management on those who are responsible for this loss of grants. This is not only loss of money, but a violation of basic human rights.

COSATU further calls on the ANC, as the party which governs the majority of the municipalities in the province, to rein on its deployees and hold them accountable for this action.

Councils must also restore order and demand answers from management of these municipalities.  

Issued by COSATU North West
Kopano Konopi(Provincial Secretary)
Contact: 082 339 5836