North West Government Launches Roadshow to Strengthen Municipal Performance

The North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, in collaboration with the Provincial Treasury, has initiated a comprehensive roadshow aimed at supporting and enhancing the capacity of all 22 municipalities across the province. This effort is in line with Section 154 of the Constitution, which mandates provincial governments to assist and strengthen municipal operations.

These sessions are designed to evaluate the performance of each municipality using the Municipal Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) pillars, focusing on key areas such as the prioritization of service delivery, good governance, sound financial management, the development of capable local government institutions, and the promotion of local economic development.

This week, the roadshow made stops at the City of Matlosana and Maquassi Hills, where MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi, addressed local councillors and management. He emphasized that these sessions will enable the departments to create tailored support and intervention plans to address the specific needs of each municipality.

“We want to see functional municipalities which are also stable. In that way, we will be able to unleash the full potential of our municipalities and address the socio-economic challenges that the province is facing. So far, the engagements have given us a clear picture of the operations and status-quo of the two municipalities. I implore both councillors and officials to address the challenges each municipality is facing,” Molapisi stated.

MEC for Finance, Kenetswe Mosenogi, echoed the importance of these joint efforts, noting that the collaboration between the two departments is crucial for bringing stability to municipalities across the province.

“The overall objective of these engagements is to work as a united front, leveraging the strengths and expertise of each other. When we work in silos, the impact is minimal, and we may not be able to achieve the desired outcomes,” Mosenogi remarked.

She also expressed concern over the widespread dissatisfaction among communities regarding local government performance in the province, stressing the need for urgent action to restore public confidence and trust in these institutions, which are critical to service delivery.

The discussions also focused on post-audit action plans, revenue collection and enhancement strategies, and addressing institutional capacity challenges. According to the MPAT report, issues such as non-functional ward committees, poor management of complaint handling systems, and inadequate road infrastructure maintenance were highlighted. Despite these challenges, the municipality has managed to achieve unqualified audit outcomes for the past three financial years (2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023).

The roadshow will continue its visits to other municipalities across the province until October, with the goal of ensuring that each municipality receives the necessary support to improve its operations and service delivery.