The North West Provincial Government has refuted allegations that R2.2 billion in unspent Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) which was allocated to the municipalities in the current financial year was returned to the department of National Treasury.
The MIG is allocated to municipalities each financial year to give many communities, especially rural villages a facelift across the province.
These include projects such as installation of high mast lights, construction of paved roads as well as water supply and sanitation projects.
Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, MEC for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Oageng Molapisi dismissed the allegations as untruthful, adding that the municipalities are on a brink of spending the budget in its entirety.
“Firstly, I want that report that says that the North West Provincial Government has returned the money to the National Treasury, so that we are factual, but I can tell you as the MEC that there’s no such a report.
There’s been a tremendous improvement in the expenditure of the MIG in the province, because the department has moved from 90% MIG expenditure in the 2022/23 financial year, to 97% in 2023/24 and 99% in 2024/25 financial year,” said Molapisi.
The MEC said that the province has been allocated R2,2 billion, with 51% of the total allocation having been spent half-way in the financial year, cementing the expectation that the remaining (49%) allocation will be duly spent between January and June 2026.
Furthermore, he said that the department is aiming for 100% expenditure, by leaving no allocation that is meant to service and ensure development in communities across the province.
Molapisi has however acknowledged that some municipalities are lacking behind in terms of spending their allocations.
“The first one is JB Marks, City of Matlosana both in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda region and Moses Kotane in Bojanala.
In Matlosana, you would know the challenges facing the municipality and we are intervening there, and in JB Marks I don’t know why they’re not spending their allocation but in Moses Kotane, I will be there on Wednesday, to hear first-hand what the challenges might be,” Molapisi explained.
Molapisi is optimistic that an intensified oversight and support will continue to improve the performance of all municipalities in the province.
“Municipal Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) is consistently focusing on critical management systems, which had historically been the root cause of poor audit outcomes, governance instability, and poor service delivery.
Municipalities that were scoring low under MPAT, were identified and this triggered turnaround interventions, intensified support, and closer monitoring by the department,” concluded Molapisi.
