Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
With regard to Theewaterskloof officials attending the Rugby World Cup:
- (a) Why was the trip not brought before the Council if they conducted the trip on behalf of the Theewaterskoof Municipality, (b) who gave the (i) Deputy Mayor and (ii) Speaker the mandate to travel to the United Kingdom and France in search of opportunities for the people of Theewaterskloof and (c) why was a letter written by the Municipal Manager to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation asking for the trip to be declared as an official state visit despite not being brought before the Council;
- whether any staff members or officials in the Theewaterskloof Municipality council offices have been (i) dismissed, (ii) suspended, (iii) been given verbal or written warnings or (iv) subject to any other disciplinary action between 17 and 31 October 2023; if so, what are the details of each incident?
This question relates to the affairs of the Theewaterskloof Municipality. My Department of Local Government has nevertheless engaged with the Theewaterskloof Municipality in order to source the relevant information and details in order to reply to the parliamentary question. The Municipality has responded as follows:
“The Theewaterskloof Municipality maintains that parliamentary questions are intended to hold the executive accountable for their official decisions and actions and cannot be used to hold local government accountable for its decisions and actions.
The Theewaterskloof Municipality further maintains that the Executive Mayor and Municipal Manager are accountable to the Municipal Council for the exercise of their duties, and not to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament…”
