Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Picture: Karen Sandison/ANA
Cape Town – Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said her department has appointed inter-governmental dispute-resolution facilitators in all provinces to deal with inter-governmental disputes to process and verify the amount of debt owed by organs of state.
EFF MP Phiwaba Madokwe wrote to Dlamini Zuma enquiring whether she has the power to take steps against those accountable for failing to make payments throughout the years to Eskom.
Madikwe said a number of municipalities in the Free State owed Eskom millions of rand despite collecting cash from communities over the years, and as a result communities in the Dihlabeng Local Municipality have been without electricity for weeks.
“Despite the specified municipality verifying that the total sum due to Eskom has been paid as they have been on prepaid electricity for years and in which case they owe Eskom no money, what recourse do communities, who are being penalised as a result of government incompetence have in order to address the specified issue?” she asked.
In her response, Dlamini Zuma said the Constitution provides that the national executive must intervene, if the provincial executive cannot or does not adequately exercise the powers or perform the functions assigned to it.
She also said the Department of Cooperative Governance – as part of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza, Department of Public Enterprises, National Treasury, the South African Local Government Association, Eskom and the Department of Energy – is leading a responsible citizenry campaign to educate consumers on the benefits of paying for municipal services and rates.
“All departments are also required to support the campaign by ensuring that they settle their debt with municipalities. Stakeholder engagements have been undertaken with various municipalities to discuss the support and the institutionalisation of the campaign in each municipality,” she said.
“In line with the Inter-Governmental Relations Framework Act, the department appointed inter-governmental dispute-resolution facilitators in all provinces to deal with inter-governmental disputes and to process and verify the amount of debt owed by organs of state to municipalities, and in turn the debt owed by municipalities to Eskom and water boards,” Dlamini Zuma said.
Cape Times
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