The Musina Municipality, which is currently experiencing low cashflow challenges, has appealed to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to speed up the payments for their Vuna Awards prize money, which amounts to R1,5m.

The prize money dates back to the 2006/2007 financial year. The awards were given in recognition of the excellent work done by municipalities in areas such as provision of water, sanitation, housing, electricity, and financial management. 

In the 2006/2007 financial year, the municipality became the overall winner of the Limpopo local municipalities and won R750 000. They then represented the province in the national competitions in the 2007/2008 financial year and came out third, netting another whopping R750 000.

In a letter dated 20 October 2009, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs apologizes to the Musina Municipality for the delay in payment of the 2008 Vuna Awards prize money.

The department cited administrative challenges relating to the transfer of the R1,5m prize money as the main cause of the delay and promised that the money would be paid into the municipality’s bank account.

Five months later, the money has not yet been transferred into the municipality’s bank account.

Municipal Manager Abram Luruli says the delay in payments of the prize money has a negative impact on service delivery. “As local government, we must render efficient services to our people and we need money to meet those obligations.”

Meanwhile, the municipality is owed R1 115 442.88 by government departments in unpaid municipal services. These are: Department of Health (R106 380.08), Public Works (R776 053.42), and Department of Education (R233 009.38). A further R25.7m is owed by residents in property rates and municipal services.