On Friday 12th April, Mafube Local Municipality (MLM) placed 2 public notifications in the Frankfort Herald to advise of the availability at all municipal offices and public libraries of the following documents:
“Mafube L.M. Draft Reviewed 2024 – 2025 Integrated Development Plan & 2024/2025 – 2026/2027 Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF)”
“2023 – 2024 REVIEWED SERVICE DELIVERY BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (SDBIP) AND PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS”
According to the notifications, the public were invited to inspect and comment on the above documents, stated to be available for a limited period at all municipal offices and public libraries. MBF visited the municipal offices and public libraries in all Mafube towns in the hope of obtaining the above-mentioned documents but none were available. Municipal officials when asked, could not provide the documents or assist in obtaining same. The MTREF is to include the proposed structure for municipal rates and tariffs for the new financial year, and it is alarming that these are not made public as required in section 22 of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
Considering the non-availability of the above-mentioned documents and the limited time available, the rights of the community to be informed and participate in the decision-making process are trampled on.
On 15 April 2024, MBF acquired a schedule (see attached) termed “2023/2024 DRAFT IDP AND BUDGET PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROGRAMME”, which was also posted on the Facebook page of the Frankfort Herald on the same day. The schedule provided dates and times for meetings in each ward, the venues and the names of the presenters and scribers. The Public Participation programme was to run from 16th April 2024 until 23rd April 2024. Local residents and Mafube Business Forum (MBF) duly attended the meetings scheduled for Frankfort and Villiers, and asked representatives from Tweeling and Cornelia to attend the meetings in their town.
To our knowledge none of the meetings as promulgated, took place. No explanation or apology was offered by MLM. The conduct of MLM makes a mockery of the public participation process.
In terms of section 16 of the Municipal Systems Act, A municipality must develop a culture of municipal governance that complements formal representative government with a system of participatory governance, and must for this purpose encourage, and create conditions for, the local community to participate in the affairs of the municipality.
MBF will take up the matter with the MEC for Cooperative Governance and if not attended to, will escalate it further.
MBF invite residents, business owners and ratepayers to visit our offices at 18A Kerk Street, Frankfort on Mondays to Thursdays from 08h30 to 16h00 and Fridays 08h30 to 12h00. Call or send a WhatsApp message to Marina at 079 145 4295. Visit our website www.mafubebf.org and follow us on Facebook.