Just a few days to the election when we’ll make a cross next to the person we think will make the best councillor of those standing.
Someone honest, who works hard, pushes for real service delivery, spends the budget on pressing needs, and has the interests of the town at heart.
Will you find a candidate like that on your ballot paper? Most probably not - but I definitely think you should still vote.
Why? Because there is a wonderful smell of change in the air: the Revised White Paper on Local Government. Once this comes into force, it could become a game changer for local councils.
When President Ramaphosa launched the Revised White Paper last week, he didn’t mince his words: “Too many communities have grown accustomed to services that are unreliable, infrastructure that is deteriorating and municipalities that are unresponsive. This cannot continue.”
Exactly.
“We underestimated how politicised appointments would open the door to corruption,” he said.
Yes, you did!
“There must be consequences when public resources are stolen, procurement is manipulated, and public duties are neglected.”
About time!
So what will change? Well, once the White Paper becomes law, we won’t get “jobs for pals” anymore. Appointments will be based strictly on merit, and National Treasury will be watching who councils choose for municipal manager, chief financial officer and directors. If they smell fishy, Treasury can scrap them. Way to go!
Councils will also not have a blank cheque for budgets. There will be “transition teams” to ensure budgets align with the White Paper’s strict targets. This starts right after elections.
For instance, the money from water and electricity sales will be “ring-fenced” and will have to be spent on maintaining water and electrical infrastructure first. Good. We all know about Knysna’s dysfunctional water pumps and the water crisis.
I like the new rules about “kingmakers”. When two parties win an equal number of seats, this creates a “hung council”. Can’t work, so a small party can decide which party it will support in a coalition, giving that party the majority – hence the name “kingmaker”. So a small party effectively dictates who will be in power. In return, they often demand high-ranking positions. All this happens behind closed doors.
The White Paper says any coalition agreement has to be written, signed and made fully public. No more secret agreements.
It also aims to tackle the biggies like corruption, people who can’t do the job, decaying infrastructure and the huge R230 billion municipal debt.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the government had “underestimated the importance of developing a new generation of engineers, town planners and municipal managers”. Yes! Train them and appoint them on merit.
So ja, this is why I say vote next week. Although the White Paper is not yet law, it is mandatory for newly-elected councillors to attend sessions immediately after the elections where they will be trained on the White Paper’s objectives.
So make your cross next week. The White Paper isn’t law yet, but there’s hope on the horizon.
As US editor George Jean Nathan said: “Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote.”
