Administrateur Stel Nuwe Waarnemende Munisipale Bestuurder en Hoof Finansiële Beampte Bekend
Home Administrateur Stel Nuwe Waarnemende Munisipale Bestuurder en Hoof Finansiële Beampte Bekend
Oudtshoorn, 26 Januarie 2016 – Die Administrateur, mnr. Kam Chetty het op Dinsdag 26 Januarie 2016 die aanstelling van die nuwe waarnemende munisipale bestuurder mnr Allen Paulse en die hoof finansiële beampte mnr Felix Lotter by ‘n perskonferensie bekend gemaak.
Mnr Lotter het die leisels by mnr Raymond Esau oorgeneem wie tot nou as hoof finansiële beampte waargeneem het en wie intussen ‘n werksaanbod aanvaar het by die Stellenbosch munisipaliteit vanaf begin Februarie 2016.
Mnr Paulse sê dat sy aanvanklike waarnemening van Oudtshoorn is dat dit nie in so ‘n aangename situasie verkeer nie en dat dit ‘n groot taak sal wees om dit te herstel. Volgens sy waarnemings uit die Ouditeur Generaal se verslag en uit vorige besprekings met mnr Chetty kon hy vasstel dat Oudtshoorn onder geweldige finansiële druk is en dat daar gesukkel word om die basies dienste aan die gemeenskap van Oudtshoorn te voorsien. Ernstige ingryping is nodig en daarom is ‘n omkeer strategie ontwikkel om die munisipaliteit te help om weer op sy voete te kom en sy grondwetlike mandaat uit te voer. Om dit te kan doen moet die munisipaliteit finansiëel gesond wees, die lewering van basiese dienste het ‘n probleem geraak en is tans onder geweldige druk.
Mnr Lotter is tans besig met onderhoude vir interne poste in die finansiële afdeling, hierdie kandidate het almal rekeningkundige kwalifikasie en sal vergoed word deur die Nasionale Tesourie. Hulle sal die munisipaliteit help vir ‘n periode van twee jaar. Paulse het bygevoeg dat dit die tipe ondersteuning is wat Oudtshoorn benodig om weer volkome te funksioneer. “Ek wil net byvoeg dat niemand die visie moet hê dat Oudtshoorn reggeruk sal word in ‘n maand of ‘n jaar of twee jaar nie. Die krisis is van so aard dat aaneenlopende ondersteuning benodig sal word, die regte mense met die regte ondervinding en vaardighede nodig sal wees in verskillende afdelings in die munisipaliteit om ons doel te bereik. Dit is hoekom ek hier is vir die volgende drie maande, dit mag dalk verleng word totdat die administrasie periode gelig word, tot dan sal ek die pligte van die munisipale bestuurder behartig en mnr Lotter die van hoof finansiële beampte,” het Paulse mee afgesluit.
Administrator Announces the Appointment of the New Acting Municipal Manager and Chief Financial Officer
Oudtshoorn, 26 January 2016 - The Administrator, Mr. Kam Chetty announced the appointment of the new acting municipal manager Mr. Allen Paulse and the Chief Financial Officer Mr. Felix Lotter at a press conference on Tuesday, 26 January 2016.
This appointment stems from a decision from the Provincial and National Minister of Local Government to send a delegation to Oudtshoorn to support the Administrator in his duties, and this officially with effect from Monday, 25 January 2016. Messrs Paulse and Lӧtter will be three days a week in Oudtshoorn, but will still be fully responsible for their duties at the Bitou municipality. They are appointed with full powers in their separate roles in line with the Municipal Systems & Regulations Act. According to this Act: a) The municipal manager as the accounting officer of the municipality and, b) has certain responsibilities and obligations on this post. Mr. Paulse will immediately take over the duties and responsibilities.
Paulse will take over all day to day activities in the management of the municipality. Mr Chetty said during the press conference, “I will take the role of the Administrator, which in this case is the Council and will be responsible for all executive decisions on behalf of the council. With immediate effect, I will be the head of the Council, and Mr. Paulse the head of the administration.
Mr. Lotter takes over the reins from Mr. Raymond Esau who until now acted as Chief Financial Officer and in-between has accepted a job offer at the Stellenbosch municipality from the beginning of February 2016.
Mr. Paulse said that his initial observation of Oudtshoorn is that it is not in such a pleasant situation and that to have it restored would be a huge task. According to his observations of the Auditor General's report and previous discussions with Mr Chetty, he could detect that Oudtshoorn was under enormous financial pressure and that it struggled to provide basic services to the community of Oudtshoorn. Serious intervention is needed, hence the development of a turnaround strategy for the municipality to help get it back on its feet and to carry out its constitutional mandate. To do it, the municipality should be financially sound, the delivery of basic services has become a problem and is currently under tremendous pressure.
Mr. Lotter is currently doing interviews for internal positions in the finance department, these candidates all have accounting qualifications and will be reimbursed by the National Treasury. They will help the municipality for a period of two years. Paulse added that this type of support is needed for Oudtshoorn to fully function again. "I just want to add that no one should have the vision that the situation in Oudtshoorn will be restored in a month or a year or two years. The crisis is of such nature that continuous support will be needed, the right people with the right experience and skills will be needed in various departments in the municipality to achieve our goal. This is why I am here for the next three months, it may be extended till the administration period is lifted. Till then, I will handle the duties of the municipal manager and Mr. Lotter, Chief financial Officer, "concluded Paulse.