Speculations about the new Free State’s Premier-elect are great cause for concern given that Mxolisi Dukwana track record in government- proving that he is not fit for purpose. During his tenure as the Free State MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), he all but watched as municipality after municipality, under his purview, deteriorated further and further into disarray.
The is hardly the man to provide stability and leadership to this beleaguered province.
This comes after an ANC letter from ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, confirming that Mr Dukwana is the preferred candidate to replace Sisi Ntombela who yesterday unceremoniously resigned as Premier of the Free State.
The Auditor-General (A-G) has identified irregularities at five municipalities in the Free State after they failed to submit their financial statements on time. Not a single Free State municipality has received a clean audit in the past five years, which reflects the quality of leadership provided by Duwkana.
This follows long-standing non-compliance and failure to submit financial statements timeously or even at all.
The most notable municipalities are Maluti-A-Phofung, Kopanong, Masilonyana, Nketoana and Tokologo.
Under Dukwana’s leadership, municipalities have irregularly appointed Municipal Managers such as Matjhabeng Municipality appointing the controversial Adv. Lonwabo Ngoqo and Mafube Municipality appointing embattled Adv. Mothusi Lepheane.
Dukwana is also notorious for not responding to correspondence sent to him about pressing matters affecting the people of the Free State. His refusal to place Kopanong Municipality under administration is one of the key indicators that he brings nothing new and will likely continue the legacy of Ace Magashule and Sisi Ntombela.
His no consequence-management style, synonymous with the ANC, has encouraged the poor performance of municipalities and we have no doubt that he will bring his bad habits to the premiership. When the province faced a humanitarian crisis in Jagersfontein, he buried his head in the sand. To date nothing concrete has come out of his office.
Irregular expenditure in the Free State has increased from over R7.6 billion to more than R9 billion, he is not the man to change this. The debt owed by Free State municipalities is significant estimated at R17 billion owed to Eskom, almost R7 billion owed to water boards and an outstanding debt to pension funds of R446 million.
Among the key issues that the new Premier will have to contend is sanitation the province which continues to rot. The health department has a worrisome backlog of surgeries and incomplete capital projects are compromising service delivery.
It is futile to expect the ANC to appoint competent men and women of integrity. Magashule and his gang of looters have wrought misery and destruction on the people of the Free State. Whoever the ANC deploys to serve as premier will continue where Magashule and Ntombela left off.
In 2024, the people of the Free State have an opportunity to vote for ActionSA that will put the needs and priorities first and install ethical and competent leadership.
Looming Announcement of the New Premier Not a Fix for Free State Chaos
Speculations about the new Free State’s Premier-elect are great cause for concern given that Mxolisi Dukwana track record in government- proving that he is not fit for purpose. During his tenure as the Free State MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), he all but watched as municipality after municipality, under his purview, deteriorated further and further into disarray.
The is hardly the man to provide stability and leadership to this beleaguered province.
This comes after an ANC letter from ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, confirming that Mr Dukwana is the preferred candidate to replace Sisi Ntombela who yesterday unceremoniously resigned as Premier of the Free State.
The Auditor-General (A-G) has identified irregularities at five municipalities in the Free State after they failed to submit their financial statements on time. Not a single Free State municipality has received a clean audit in the past five years, which reflects the quality of leadership provided by Duwkana.
This follows long-standing non-compliance and failure to submit financial statements timeously or even at all.
The most notable municipalities are Maluti-A-Phofung, Kopanong, Masilonyana, Nketoana and Tokologo.
Under Dukwana’s leadership, municipalities have irregularly appointed Municipal Managers such as Matjhabeng Municipality appointing the controversial Adv. Lonwabo Ngoqo and Mafube Municipality appointing embattled Adv. Mothusi Lepheane.
Dukwana is also notorious for not responding to correspondence sent to him about pressing matters affecting the people of the Free State. His refusal to place Kopanong Municipality under administration is one of the key indicators that he brings nothing new and will likely continue the legacy of Ace Magashule and Sisi Ntombela.
His no consequence-management style, synonymous with the ANC, has encouraged the poor performance of municipalities and we have no doubt that he will bring his bad habits to the premiership. When the province faced a humanitarian crisis in Jagersfontein, he buried his head in the sand. To date nothing concrete has come out of his office.
Irregular expenditure in the Free State has increased from over R7.6 billion to more than R9 billion, he is not the man to change this. The debt owed by Free State municipalities is significant estimated at R17 billion owed to Eskom, almost R7 billion owed to water boards and an outstanding debt to pension funds of R446 million.
Among the key issues that the new Premier will have to contend is sanitation the province which continues to rot. The health department has a worrisome backlog of surgeries and incomplete capital projects are compromising service delivery.
It is futile to expect the ANC to appoint competent men and women of integrity. Magashule and his gang of looters have wrought misery and destruction on the people of the Free State. Whoever the ANC deploys to serve as premier will continue where Magashule and Ntombela left off.
In 2024, the people of the Free State have an opportunity to vote for ActionSA that will put the needs and priorities first and install ethical and competent leadership.