Makana Municipal Manger Ntombi Baart was given the go-ahead by council to sign the agreement for the transfer of primary health services to the provincial health department.
Makana Municipal Manger Ntombi Baart was given the go-ahead by council to sign the agreement for the transfer of primary health services to the provincial health department.
The long, dragging process known as "provincialisation", is at a point where it is envisaged that all municipal clinics will be provincialised by 1 January 2011. A special council meeting was called on Thursday, 28 October to make a resolution before the agreement could be signed.
Makana Municipality was invited to sign the agreement in Bhisho on Tuesday, 26 October, but a request was submitted by the municipality to move the date to Friday, 29 October. A clear message on this topic was that if municipalities do not sign this agreement, there will be consequences. This is according to a report in the special council meeting agenda which stated that the current service level agreement is only valid for the period up to Friday, 31 December, which implies that no funds will be transferred to municipalities beyond that date.
So "expenditure on health care services will be deemed fruitless and unauthorised expenditure," the report stated. "It must be clear that we are facing blackmail from the province," said councillor Michael Whisson.
The draft transfer agreement indicated a number of aspects regarding the transfer of employees such as employees having the option of getting paid out by the municipality for accrued leave that is above 48 days; all transferring employees that have qualified for long service awards before the date of transfer must be paid by the municipality before the actual transfer; the municipality must terminate all acting appointments and pay all the dues before the actual transfer; the municipality will pay each transforming employee a pro-rata bonus on the last day of service; and that employees who are due to retire within 12 months after the effective date will have to be retained by the municipality.
Comments from Chief Financial Officer, Jackson Ngcelwane in the report outlined that it is "important for the Council to be aware about the costs as this will now be in the account of the municipality, with no subsidisation coming from the health department at all with effect from 1 January 2011." He also mentioned that a budget revision for primary health care service will have to be tabled to Council as soon as possible.
Councillor Les Reynolds proposed that an absolute deadline be found for the signing. "We have a responsibility to this council, this town and this region that we know exactly what is going on in these documents. I don't think at this stage, we should give the Municipal Manager the permission to sign," he said.
Councillor Thandeka Veliti echoed Reynolds' sentiments that clarity is needed on a number of aspects involved in this process, especially about the transfer of assets and liabilities. Councillor Julia Wells said she appreciated the comments made by her fellow councillors, but they have few options available.
"The deadline is tomorrow [Friday, 29 October] from the information that has been given. Either we sign now or we are out of the health care system." She made a submission to approve the recommendations but to stay aware of the progress as it unfolds.
"We are fighting a battle we are not going to win, whether we extend or do not sign," Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana said. He added that the main problem is going to lie with the politicians as people with clinic related issues will not go to Bhisho for answers but to them.
Councillor Nomhle Gaga said they should accept this and prepare the staff. She was seconded by Veliti who said that the public should also be prepared as Lwana highlighted that they are the people who will be blamed if adequate service delivery is lacking. Council then approved the signing of the consolidated transfer agreement. DA Councillors, Whisson, Reynolds and Xolani Madyo requested that their vote be recorded against this.
