MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – “You have the right to know how we are spending your money.”

These were the words of Mayor Rhulani Nkuzana during the AGM of the Chairpersons Association (CA). The CA endeavours to assure that corruption in the area is totally wiped out.

Cllr Nkuzana addressed the CA, a non-political organization functioning in the districts of Makhado and Vhembe, on good and transparent corporate governance. More than 100 people attended the meeting on July 22 at the Bergwater Hotel.

Cllr Nkuzana said that it is not wrong to ask what is happening in the municipality and nobody needs to be apologetic, because the municipality gets its funding from the community. He said that legislation was in place to ensure that the municipality operated in a transparent and accountable manner.

“Communities should give input on how they see development and how they want development,” Cllr Nkuzana said. He said that the Integrated Development Programme (IDP) allowed for public participation.

“You cannot divorce good governance from public participation. They are like Siamese twins,” Cllr Nkuzana said. In the case of lack of community involvement, he posed a question: “Is it because the IDP is not effective or are we as servants not doing enough in terms of community involvement?”

Cllr Nkuzana said that the performance management, performance target and other documents are open for public scrutiny. He referred to the CA as watchdogs of the community. Cllr Nkuzana found, however, that they do not bite. On the contrary, as mayor he got advice from the CA on a number of issues.

“They made me wiser; you can only become wise when you listen to wise advice,” Cllr Nkuzana said.

Mr André Naudé, chairman of the CA, said in his report said that the fact that the Cllr Nkuzana was addressing them on good corporate governance was clear proof that the debate and process of good corporate governance in the public and private sector had already started.

Mr Naudé referred to a meeting that the executive of the Makhado Municipality had with the Executive of the CA in August 2003. During that meeting, topics for discussion included corruption, nepotism, corruption with tender procedures, local support of professional people as well as service providers and contractors, and good and transparent corporate governance. Following that meeting, the mayor had appointed a Commission of Inquiry in respect of corruption.

The Chairpersons Association appealed to its members and the public not to allow the public sector to overtake the private sector with good corporate governance.

“The next generation will definitely thank us for the initiatives that we took, but will also blame us if we don’t follow through to the end with good corporate governance.”