Chairperson,

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) is meant to serve as the representative voice of all 278 municipalities in the country.

The main cost-driver over the medium term is compensation of employees which is expected to grow to R311.1 million in 2017/18. One of the biggest recipients in this regard is SALGA’s CEO, Xolile George, who receives an annual salary of R2.8 million, plus bonuses and allowances. This is more than the President receives.

While Mr George has done much to clean up the internal affairs of SALGA, our municipalities remain in a dire state.

We remain cautiously optimistic about SALGA’s intention to implement a self-sustaining funding model from 2016/17 onwards, because many municipalities are unable or unwilling to pay even their electricity and water bills.

The Municipal Infrastructure Agency (MISA) will receive over R300 million in the 2015/16 financial year to support municipalities with infrastructure delivery.

Unfortunately we’ve heard this year that MISA was complicit in awarding a contract of over R600 million to the politically connected Siyenza Group without a competitive bidding process having been followed.

MISA cannot be just another state entity where tenderpreneurs come knocking for lucrative contracts.

The Department will also transfer R116.8 million to the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) over the medium term.

Despite the more than R30 million the CRL Commission will receive this year, when I checked yesterday, it did not even have a functioning website.

A main focus area for the Commission will be on “promoting the preservation of traditional practices, such as male circumcision”.

Chairperson, the Commission should be most concerned about stopping the deaths of countless young men during initiation seasons. Government’s response on this issue has been completely inadequate and deserves urgent attention.

I thank you.