The Democratic Alliance in the eThekwini Municipality will demand that the speaker tables the election of the new deputy mayor during today’s full council meeting.
The position remains vacant after the resignation of the former deputy mayor Belinda Scott. The deputy mayor is the chairperson of the most important committee, the Finance, Security, and Emergency committee. The state of the city’s finances currently dictates that now more than ever, political oversight is of utmost importance.
The DA cannot sit back and allow the ANC’s infighting to collapse the people’s institution – the municipality. We have been made aware that the ANC is fighting over who among its councillors should be the deputy mayor. We want to remind the ANC that the position of the deputy mayor does not belong to them but belongs to the municipal council.
Residents of eThekwini should not have to suffer because the ANC cannot reach an agreement. Many services which fall under the Deputy Mayor’s committee have already been delayed. Any further delays to this appointment will have detrimental effects on the already collapsing municipality.
For a municipality that can barely provide residents with water, we need to avoid anything which could further collapse the municipality. This matter needs to be addressed now before residents suffer the complications.