The ANC’s clean sweep of the political leadership of eThekwini Municipality during 2019 has not led to any improvement in the level of its integrity as the “new” Speaker, Cllr Weziwe Thusi, continues to fail to implement the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.
Yet again, Cllr Thusi has failed to report to the Municipality’s Ethics Committee at its first meeting of 2020, which was held on 18 February, any of the activities of Councillors which are now before the Criminal Courts.
This includes former Mayor Cllr Zandile Gumede, former Exco Member Cllr Mondli Mthembu, as well as the four additional Councillors who were arrested in December 2019 on criminal charges relating to the allegedly dirty R208 million Durban Solid waste tenders.
Clause 4.3.1.2. of the Terms of Reference of the Ethics Committee states that the Ethics Committee should “make a finding on any alleged breach of the Code and make appropriate recommendations to the Municipal Council.
It is not necessary that the errant Councillor has to have been found guilty in any court for the matter to be referred to the Ethics Committee. Once any alleged breach has occurred, the speaker is obliged to report the matter to the ethics committee for the Ethics Committee to investigate.
Conduct such as interfering in the administration of the Municipality constitutes a contravention of the Code of Conduct. It should therefore be reported to the Ethics Committee.
The Democratic Alliance Caucus in the eThekwini Municipality is therefore disappointed that Cllr Weziwe Thusi has still not found the courage to deal properly with these Councillors who have been identified by the Hawks as having been involved in questionable activities linked to the Durban Solid Waste contracts which have landed former Mayor Cllr Zandile Gumede and former Exco member Cllr Mondli Mthembu, and others, in court on criminal charges.
The report tabled by the Speaker at the meeting of the Municipality’s Ethics Committee on Tuesday, 18 February for the period October 2019 to December 2019 omits any mention of the activities of those Councillors.
Thusi is protecting her comrades, going as far as breaching the code of conduct. This is a demonstration of the ANC as we know it, total disregard of the laws of this country. The DA will not sit idly by and allow senior leadership figures in the ANC to protect errant Councillors who have done wrong. The DA will use all avenues to ensure that good governance prevails.