On 12 May 2021, Mafube Business Forum (MBF) issued the following media release:
"According to the Municipal Financial Management Act 56 of 2003, municipal councils are obliged to approve a municipal budget for the following financial year before the end of May each year. If this does not happen, according to section 26(1) of the law, the provincial authority is obliged to intervene and the council must be dissolved. Of course, the mayor and councilors of Mafube will do everything in their power to prevent such a move, because they would lose their powers and forfeit their allowances!”
"Municipalities are also obliged by law to consult widely with the public and act transparently, and therefore it is difficult to explain that, the scheduled public meetings of which notice appeared in the Frankfort Herald of April 16 (2021), were not attended by officials from Mafube, and residents consequently turned up in front of closed doors! As usual, there were no notifications of cancellation or apologies offered."
What has changed?
Unfortunately nothing! It is absolutely astonishing that after another two years, and while Mafube Local Municipality (MLM) is under mandatory administration, with assistance from National Treasury and a number of consultants, no progress has been made in this regard, it rather worsened. This year there was no published schedule of meetings and the meeting that was to take place in Frankfort at short notice, was not attended by officials from MLM. In the meantime, the financial well-being of the municipality weakened even further and, for the umpteenth time, workers did not receive payment at the end of May.
Pictured: Members of Mafube Local Municipality's executive team, and addressing the audience is the mayor of Mafube Local Municipality, Mr Tlhoare Motsoeneng.
MBF invites residents, business owners and taxpayers to visit our offices at 18A Church Street, Frankfort on Mondays to Thursdays from 08h30 to 16h00 and Fridays 08h30 to 12h00. Call or send a WhatsApp message to Marina on 079 145 4295. Visit our website www.mafubebf.org and follow us on Facebook.