Deputy Minister Masemola Leads Oversight Visit to Revive Sekhukhune Services

The oversight visit is an operational facet of the broader national campaign launched by CoGTA to instill urgency and accountability in local government structures.

In a decisive move to tackle the pressing issues affecting local governance and public services, the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola, is spearheading a high-level oversight visit to the Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo today. This visit is a critical component of the national campaign dubbed “Every Municipality Must Work”, which aims to fast-track service delivery and restore functional governance in struggling municipalities across South Africa.

Joining Dr. Masemola on this mission is the Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Mr. Basikopo Rogers Makamu. Together, the two senior officials will engage directly with municipal leaders, traditional authorities, and community stakeholders to evaluate the state of municipal operations and identify strategic interventions.

Background on the “Every Municipality Must Work” Campaign

The oversight visit is an operational facet of the broader national campaign launched by CoGTA to instill urgency and accountability in local government structures. The campaign is focused on revitalizing municipalities plagued by inefficiency, service backlogs, and poor infrastructure maintenance. It aims to reignite community confidence in local governance and to ensure that all municipalities fulfill their constitutional obligations to residents.

According to CoGTA, the initiative is not merely a troubleshooting exercise but a long-term framework for sustainable governance. It is underpinned by strategic planning, intergovernmental collaboration, and robust monitoring mechanisms.

Anchoring the Visit in the District Development Model (DDM)

Central to this oversight visit is the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM), a flagship national strategy that promotes integrated and coordinated governance across the three spheres of government: national, provincial, and local. The DDM adopts a "whole-of-government, whole-of-society" approach, emphasizing the importance of collaborative planning and execution in driving equitable development.

The model seeks to overcome fragmented service delivery by establishing a unified development framework at the district level, enabling better resource utilization and community-centric solutions. For Sekhukhune, which has been grappling with service delivery deficits and administrative inefficiencies, the DDM could be the catalyst for transformative change.

Focus of the Oversight Visit

The oversight delegation will engage in a series of strategic dialogues and field visits, with a strong emphasis on:

• Assessing current service delivery challenges, including water supply, waste management, and infrastructure maintenance.

• Identifying governance bottlenecks and proposing institutional reforms to improve accountability and responsiveness.

• Engaging traditional leadership and civil society stakeholders to ensure inclusive decision-making processes.

• Encouraging innovation and local economic development by exploring opportunities in agriculture, tourism, and small business development.

• Aligning municipal plans with provincial and national development frameworks to create synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.

CoGTA emphasized that the visit is not just a monitoring exercise, but a “strategic platform for collaborative problem-solving, to identify actionable solutions, catalyze innovation, and unlock socio-economic opportunities within the district.”

Community Engagement and Long-Term Vision

Community engagement will play a central role in the visit, as Dr. Masemola and MEC Makamu are expected to hold open forums and town hall meetings with residents. These sessions will provide a critical opportunity for citizens to voice their concerns and share local insights that can guide policymaking.

The long-term vision of this initiative is to reposition Sekhukhune as a district that not only meets basic service delivery expectations but also thrives as a hub for sustainable economic development and community well-being.

Today’s oversight visit by Dr. Masemola and Mr. Makamu signals a renewed commitment by the government to act decisively in the face of municipal dysfunction. By integrating strategic planning with grassroots engagement, the intervention offers hope for a more accountable, efficient, and community-driven approach to local governance in Sekhukhune.

If successful, the initiative could serve as a model for similar interventions in other districts facing governance and service delivery challenges across the country.