GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
Engineers dispatched to metros to plug skills gap
A shortage of skills in critical sectors such as water engineering continues to hamper the functioning of municipalities, says Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Zweli Mkhize. Only 55 municipalities out of 257 had engineers leading their technical divisions, he said. Based on an assessment by his department, just 7% of municipalities were classified as functioning well, Mkhize said. Speaking at a ceremony on Monday to send off newly appointed engineers and town planners to distressed municipalities, Mkhize said his department and the Treasury had identified 87 distressed and dysfunctional municipalities for intervention. The department had so far appointed 81 new engineers and town planners.
"Our interventions are in line with Section 154 of the constitution, which provides that national and provincial government must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, exercise their powers and perform their functions," said...
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