Nala is the Sesotho word for prosperity. It is also the sad choice of name for what is now officially South Africa’s most spectacularly failed municipality, the first to have the National Treasury switch off budgetary life support.
The state pulling the plug on annual transfers in excess of R200 million was an act of mercy. While this is not the only local authority in extremis, Nala has been flat-lining for half a dozen years. None of several emergency interventions has failed to kick-start a pulse.
Though one must marvel that it has taken so long for the stench of putrefaction to permeate to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s office and wonder which hapless municipality will succumb next. In the Free State alone, Nala, with a population of 130 000, is one of three municipalities on government drip-feeds, encompassing increased oversight and managerial interventions.
While Nala’s name is now a bad joke, it was not doomed to failure from the start. At launch, it boasted that with proper development it would be one of the country’s richest local authorities.
For Nala sits smack in the middle of the prosperous Free State mielie belt, centred on Bothaville, SA’s so-called Maize Capital. Since it extracts a large amount of its rates income from farmers – to whom it provides zero electricity, water or sewage services – it should be well placed to achieve its mandate of extending basic services to indigent township dwellers.
Instead Nala failed dismally and hasn’t even produced audited accounts since 2007/8. Its decline into corruption and mismanagement was noted all along the way by provincial and national government departments, by state development agencies, by the Auditor-General, by the National Prosecuting Authority, by the Public Protector, by Parliament, and in a KPMG forensic report. Yet despite everything, including two years under direct provincial administration, the plundering and incompetence continued.
There is a powerful metaphor for inherited deprivation and failed service delivery. It is the bucket system of sewage disposal. So it’s instructive to look at Nala’s inability to do anything with “night soil” buckets other than kick them over.
Since formation, Nala has budgeted around R10 million a year to introduce waterborne sewage. Central government recently contributed another R52 million but then withdrew from the process because of corruption. The first phase, although initially declared a success, has since collapsed because the reticulation piping was stolen.
So to put it bluntly, the shit’s still there. Water affairs reports that though Nala buys pure water, by the time it delivers this domestically the water is teeming with E.coli bacteria – faecal contamination – posing “an unacceptable risk for human consumption”. The unfortunate residents of Nala have little alternative, however.
Nala also spent R6 million on an accounting package that didn’t work and hasn’t collected rates for two years, leaving it R200 million in the dwang. Despite forensic recommendations and parliamentary committees angry over corruption, no municipal official has been criminally charged. One was fired in in response to street protests and is suing for unfair dismissal.
This didn’t happen in a void. National and provincial government watched the unfolding disaster, imbued with good intentions but incapable of intervening effectively.
Dr Andrew Siddle, an expert on local government at the University of Cape Town, says he knows of not a single successful “parachuting in” of a turnaround team. Mostly the highly paid administrators “are not fit to be put in charge of a piggy bank, never mind a multimillion-rand municipality”, says Siddle. “They are subject to 101 pressures that ensure failure, including pressures to dispense financial favours and overlook transgressions.”
In the case of Nala, in February the parliamentary committee was outraged to discover that the MEC tasked by the Free State government with overseeing the administration of the province’s failed municipalities, had in fact presided as the mayor of one of them during its collapse.
This was no aberration. The round robin of officials who leave one state entity under a cloud and then pop up happily employed at another is well documented. Many of Nala’s useless municipal officials now work elsewhere in local government. Such is the African National Congress cadre’s cloak of immunity.
As Siddle puts it “our local government framework is predicated on the unrealistic assumption that every municipality would have a mature, responsive local political leadership which displays accountability towards the electorate and exercises proper oversight of a professional, competent and committed administration. The reality is far different”.
President Jacob Zuma promised that accountability would be the cornerstone of his presidency. Yet this is a concept that remains unknown to the 381 municipal officials and dozens of councillors who with impunity stripped Nala to the husk.
@Critcyn. now lets engage honestly. You are exagerating, this name calling is a bit over the top and I will tell you that most of my friends, ordinary wonderful SAns do not go around with this type of name calling. I dont even remember this happening even at varsity today unless it is an isolated incident which gets dealt with harshly by progressive students. The pre-apartheid conditioning is that about blacks in general and africans in particular. If there was no mistreatment one would not refer to the 1912 Land Act and the existence of ANC nearly 100 years ago. But noting that you moot the DA, something of which I suspected of you, in the first instance, I wonder how you feel now that the residents of Khayalitsha has gone to their charge office and laid a charge against the DA local and provincial govt for human rights abuses in terms of their service delivery record. I also wonder how it is possible that the DA govt records the highest amount of service delivery protests. Notwithstanding, the fact that they now need the army to help them with crime. That speaks of an abysmal record. It speaks to incapacity. But clearly, you failed to declare your interests in the beginning and went on a rant and a rave only because you had a hidden agenda. That and it is only that type of behaviour that speaks to lies, deceit and pretense. Why couldnt you be honest in the first place?
Back to the subject – the disasterous corruption and ineptitude of the ANC.
As trucks are being dragged into streets and burned, their drivers intimidated and havoc again reigns supreme.. as more Somalis have been killed in the past week and more ‘necklacing’ taken place, it is echoed by these words in a report from ANC provincial secretary, David Makhura:
“The ANC runs the risk of losing power … the current situation is untenable.Things have been getting worse: factionalism, ill discipline and infighting have reached new levels … political killings, violent disruption of ANC meetings are regular occurences .. . Corruption is not being brought under control. The ANC’s image is in tatters. But there are some of us who are in denial about the depth of the crises that faces the ANC and our country”.
There is more – but there you have it from the horse’s mouth.
Another reminder of the subject: the disasterous corruption and ineptitude of the ANC.
Trying to take another peck at Apartheid in order to fill the enormous potholes and gaping pitfalls of the ASC, just doesn’t wash … .
as WSM says: ” … the shit’s still there. Water affairs reports that … domestically the water is teeming with E.coli bacteria – faecal contamination …an unacceptable risk for human consumption”.
- a most fitting description of the ANC as well.
@Tofolux – why should individual citizens have to take the corrupt to court (often not a feasible option when the corrupt are in power – have you tried laying a charge of assault against the police or extortion against a traffic policeman for example?). I have been robbed on more than one occasion, had my daughter attacked in the street and suffered various other crimes – only once, in 1997 did the police follow up,
Why don’t you see the other political parties taking the corrupt to court you ask? – because of the same reasons, they shouldn’t have to. Part of a truly functioning democracy is to have the correct checks and balances in place to discourage corruption and ‘encourage’ (even if by fear of the consequences) honesty and dilligence. Hence my comment on a civil service. I fail to see why you see it as a problem if my mantra, in this instance, is against corruption – any honest person should have a serious problem with dishonesty. Why don’t you? Do you support the public protector?
You should seriously consider travelling the world more so that you can see how poorly this govenment delivers compared to others. OR, why not go and live in Nala for a year and then go and live in Somerset West for a year to give yourself a good contrast between what is and what it could be.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting a working efficient government and my critcisms are aimed at the glaring failings which doesn’t mean I don’t acknowledge their successes (which…
There is a typing error in:”Trying to take another peck at Apartheid in order to fill the enormous potholes and gaping pitfalls of the ASC, just doesn’t wash” as a typo error.
It should obviously read: ‘ ……. gaping pitfalls of the ANC…. ‘
@ Tofolux
I find it disturbing that you make personal assumptions and attack people based on those assumptions (not unique on TL.) For eg, your comments about my political parties – really! Pray tell me Tofolux, which is my political party – I see you’ve subsequently assumed it’s the DA?
From this point in your earlier reply you just get personal and assumptive and illogical to the point of it being unproductive to engage you much further in debate.
Where you get the idea that the anti-corruption proponents are actually conducting a deep anti-black campaign is absurd. I was as vehemently opposed to the corrupt NAT government before 1994, had repeated run-ins with the SAP over their “we’re above the law” attitude (it’s still there) and personally believe that any government employee found guilty of abusing their position should be permanently banned from holding public office. We should take a leaf from Brazil’s example and enact similar anti-corruption laws. Incidentally, once enacted, there was a MASSIVE exodus of the corrupt from Brazilian politics by politicians who had repeatedly protested their innocence prior to the law being passed ).
So far you’ve levelled accusations of dishonesty, lies, deceit, pretense, and a hidden agenda against me yet you’d like people out there to believe YOU to be the honest reasonable logical one & even invite me to engage you honestly (which I have)- you’re joking right? It’s tempting to bait you but Charlotte’s…
Corruption is all over where the African national congress is governing .
@Garg
I do believe you are concerned for the way the poor are being treated and have no reason to believe otherwise. My concern is for the poor and downtrodden worldwide & the growing gap between the haves and the have nots. We need a complete worldwide overhaul of the role of governments and politicians. Politics should be a retrospectivly rewarding career where politicians are rewarded by the people at the end of their tenure.
Real politicians, with the desire to SERVE the public and improve society through their contribution, should have no problem with earning the national average, living at the national average, sending their kids to public schools, using public transport (economy class), setting an example by obeying the laws, utilising public health services, and being immersed in every day society. Instead, around the world the politicians are in high-earning, well-rewarded,positions that remove them from the common people. They hobnob with the rich and famous and covet their wealth and position to the point that it infects them (I nearly said to the point that it corrupts them, yikes!).
I’m not so naive as to believe there aren’t good people in the ANC, i know there are, just as I’m sure there are corrupt DA officials too. I want the dishonest ones out (permanently) so the honest ones can get on with it. Unfortunately power has little affilication to the meek or the honest.
@ Tofolux – where do I sit between the V & V? I stand somewhere inbetween…
@Critcyn, so now it isnt your responsibility to lay a charge? If someone assaults you, then who lays the charge? This is how riduclous your claim is. It is the duty of any citizen of this country to lay a charge yes even more so pol parties. There are no specials in our society who has servants who continuously has to get their hands dirty because of the laziness of others. But let me reiterate, this song that you sing is part of the anti-black campaign. You guys are located in every sphere in this society especially business, LAY CHARGES! But since you are praying and wishing for our country to fail no matter what the cost, who are you proposing to lead this country, politically? The irony of all of these corrupt claims that you make knowing full well that we DO NOT have a failed state despite the fact that the apartheid state was a failed state, you benefitted directly from corruption. You participated day in and day out, you never once raised a whisper about the wrongdoings and one wonders why or is it because of whom it was? YOUR duty to THIS country is TO LAY CHARGES and not sing anti-black songs.
@Charlotte, it is quite interesting that there seems to be this omniscient mental block when engaging with some. Firstly, be careful what you wish for. Let me put it to you like this, the majority in this country are blacks in general and african in particular. You have NO other influence, political, social or otherwise who has the influence over people in the way ANC has. This doesnt mean that your anti-black campaign or songs are true, What this means that if you think that no influence was at work as Marikana then clearly this bubble-world must be damaging or numbing the senses of some amongst us. If you think that any right-wing party will have the necessary influence over us, then clearly this bubble-world is more than damaging. You should at times acknowledge certain fundamentals in our society. But then again, apartheid isolated you guys to such an extent that you clearly did not know what your neigbour was doing. It is sheer opportunism to extract and use certain information from others. Clearly this means a lack of capacity when it comes to cognitive ability to analyse issues. But here again, we have noted the misuse of our wonderful “Madiba” which not only speaks to using us again but also noting that he is a member of MK, a member of ANC a fighter for the ANC constitution and a fighter who will defend ANC to his death, it shows how desperate some amongst us are.
Tofolux, if you can get past your deeply ingrained prejudice and stereotypical thinking you will be able to overcome your own rather obvious mental blocks. I say this without the intention to insult you, but rather to point out that stereotypical thinking is damaging to you because it limits you to seeing only in two dimensions. Enforcing a stereotype onto a person detracts from who a person really is and robs them of their individuality. For example, it is the action of stereotyping at a larger scale that caused the act of Apartheid. In South Africa, white people stereotyped black people as insignificant, incapable and unintelligent, and declared that black people should be satisfied with mere manual labour. Stereotypes allow us to segregate others and deprive them of what makes them individual human beings, and we need to question the assumptions and preconceived ideas that come with it. Only that way can we be truly free to be who we are and to think what is true.
Now you can heap abuse on my head, but it doesn’t matter because I understand where it comes from.
@Marianne, in some instances one must call a spade a shovel. It cannot be that when some are fingered for something, others are absolved for the same mis-use and here i point to your side-kick eg Charlotte. But noting the hypocrisy can I point to some of the anti-black hymns that are being sung. Why is it that these things are not corrected by those who claim moral authority? I ask this against the background that when you claim moral authority there must be consistency. Also lets take this debate as an eg. At some level one must point out gross misrepresentation where and whenever it exists. It seems that we allow certain people a platform to peddle lies and untruths without taking them to task and why is that. And yet, when someone has an alternative view, this is attacked with no valid counter argument. I am still to have children, but clearly my dream would be to consistently build morals and values in them so that they r able to argue against a lie and be vocal in arguing for what is right. Our duty to our country is to acknowledge all wrongdoings but then to provide some way forward that not only builds nationhood, society but also our country. I only have one country and I only have one citizenship. I have a desire that this country must be the best it can be but I also acknowledge that it was never going to be a bed of roses. I will defend this country with my life, its people and its history and never will I accept those who wish for its demise or downfall.
@Tofolux: You say: “But lets use simple logic, of all the issues you have raised, how does this measure against the apartheid govt, because critcyn, that is all we have to measure against.”
NO, you should NOT measure against apartheid. (Although, even against apartheid, the ANC government may lose out… for example Tygerberg, Groote Schuur, and Baragwanath hospitals delivered world-class services to “non-whites” during apartheid.)
It is about how well the ANC is doing NOW, because they are CURRENTLY governing.
The ANC government should be measured against what COULD (actually should) have been achieved since 1994, and against that measure they are a massive, heart-breaking disappointment to me.
It is like a student finishing with a 40% pass, and claiming that as an achievement, when everybody knows that student was lazy, and should have passed with at least an 80% mark.
You should be just as disappointed with them as well.
@Jandro, I think you forget a major fact. We did not have FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. Have you forgotten your own history and forgotten why the apartheid govt introduced these laws? Sure these hospitals were the best but certainly not for us. We NEVER had access to these Jandro and if we did, this was on very rare occasions. Now are you suggesting we assess our performance against delivery for whites only. Thats crude yoh. But clearly I can sense that kpa vs kpi in your understanding still needs a lot of constructive thought and I will leave you more time to come up with something credible.
WOW, that was very well written, and those most parts are true, we cannot over look the obvious bias created by selective diction, “indigent” town-ship dwellers. that in itself is a clear sign that the writer is not being neutral in thought thus basing his writing on fact. the choice of words clearly shows his underlying prejudice and bias to ‘protect’ the white farmer and bash the black township dwellers.
I probably agree that the ANC is truly creating dysfunctional havoc, yet cannot agree to having any south african refer to his presumably fellow countryment as indigent based on the fact they live in townships or that they are black. however still very well written, were you to lose the prejudice thinking, this could have been a great piece.
@ Toffolux,
You’re a disturbing person glibly accusing others of hypocricy (and worse). You form simplistic arguments around complex situations, make gross assumptions, and are quicker to reply and insult than taking the time to digest and understand. You are young and disrespectful and fail to see how patiently some treat you.
for example, you say ” But since you are praying and wishing for our country to fail no matter what the cost…..” but have absolutely no idea of what I am wishing and praying for, have no idea of my participation in this country’s past beyond the little I have written, and yet you are certain that you have it right and I have it wrong.
You say you don’t have children and yet you state those [white people] of us who do (who could have taken our children to safer climes, who could have put our children in private schools but didn’t, who could have left ANY TIME before or after the fall of apartheid but haven’t) are praying for the country to fail irrespective of the cost [to our children and loved ones nogal!]. Fail to see how this one e.g. of absurd thinking makes your opinions insignificant and don’t be surprised when people discount your opinions.
Based on the the patently racist comments you have made thus far I can see you are yet to understand that we all see the world as we are and not as it is. That’s why you seem only able to see white people as anti-black and make your sad infantile racist anti-white comments. Such a…
@BikoGuevaraHaniX what’s wrong with the word ‘indigent’? It means they are poor. It means the township dwellers are not affluent. How does use of the word indigent to describe the township dwellers show that the writer supports the white farmers and not the township dwellers? What word would you have preferred the writer to use in order to be neutral?