The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Basikopo Makamu, has called on all newly sworn-in councillors not to take their positions for granted and ignore the needs of their communities.
MEC Makamu, who was joined by the re-elected executive mayor of Vhembe District Municipality, Dowelani Nenguda, and other local mayors in the region, addressed the newly elected councillors on their first day of the five-day councillors induction programme. The programme was held at the 2Ten Hotel in Sibasa and started on Monday, 6 December.
The objective of the programme was to give newly elected councillors the capacity and tools needed, and covered, among other things, leadership, policy and legislation, municipal governance, performance and accountability.
"Don't drop the ball and undermine the confidence of the people in the democratic dispensation who voted you into office," said MEC Makamu. He said his department had handed over reports of the fifth administration of local government for each of their municipalities across the province.
"Out of 27 municipalities in the province, 15 received unqualified audit outcomes and one (Capricorn District, under Executive Mayor John Mpe) received a clean audit. Make us proud and improve these audit outcomes by giving the province more clean audits," Makamu said.
He said the selection of councillor candidates and designation mayors and council committee members had moved to capacity and experiences. "We put our best foot forward for the current municipal administration. Our people deserve better, and it is our duty to deliver better and sustainable services," he said.
Makamu also encouraged councillors to pursue their personal studies to increase their career potential, and as the world is becoming more complex, high-level skills are needed.