By: Nomatshawe Bangani
The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) held a public hearing at the East London City Hall on Thursday.
The MPAC public hearings are aimed at providing an opportunity for stakeholders to give input, provide feedback on issues that were inept in the latest Annual report and account to work done in the previous financial year.
MPAC Chairperson Zameka Kodwa-Gajula said, as MPAC they are not satisfied with the performance of Buffalo City Metro in the previous financial year.
“Comparing the 2017/2018 to 2016/2017 financial year, we as MPAC have discovered that there is not much improvement in terms of the municipality’s performance. Most of the things we raised in the last financial year are still a huge concern to us and when we raise those issues again, the municipality gives us the same repetitive answers,” said Kodwa-Gajula.
Kodwa-Gajula added that MPAC will write a report of recommendation with concerning issues and hand it over to the council, which will decide on what action to take against the municipality.
“There is not much action we can take against the municipality. When there are issues that we find, we write a report to the council and recommend action according to our findings. It is council that has the authority to take action as they can either accept or reject our recommendation” she said.
Ben Thwalingca, a representative from Kwanele Movement who attended the hearing said the organisation which fights for basic human rights discovered that there were quite a few issues of concern in the Annual report. Thwalingca said he was worried about the high unemployment rate in the city.
“I attended all the MPAC sessions and I was not happy to see that the halls were filled by young people. This indicates that these young people could attend as they did not work” he said.
He said in order to address radical economic transformation, BCMM needs to follow what was pronounced by the former president Jacob Zuma to introduce the implementation of thirty percent local content for projects more than 30 million rand, in order for locals to benefit in terms of job creation and SMMEs.