The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) today calls on provincial CoGTA MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, to do everything in his legal power to ensure that ANC councillors attend a Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM) meeting on Friday to elect an Executive Committee, including a Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
The call comes as the municipality remains without any senior political leadership – a situation which has been ongoing since the Local Government Elections (LGE) on 1 November 2021. This is in contravention of Section 45 and 48(2) of the Municipal Structures Act. A third attempt to elect members to these key positions will now take place on Friday.
Last week, the DA wrote to MEC Hlomuka, requesting an urgent engagement with him in order to resolve this intolerable situation. Regrettably, the MEC does not appear to share our concerns around this municipality and has failed to respond to our request to date.
Furthermore, while the ANC has 37 seats within the municipal council, the DA has 14. This entitles us to at least two positions on the Executive, which we are currently being denied.
The intolerable state of affairs in RNM is a direct result of ANC internal strife regarding the proposed candidates. This in turn has led to two previous council meetings being boycotted by ANC councillors, leading to there being no quorum and the election of senior political leaders and an Executive being prevented.
This situation is yet another prime example of how ANC infighting is being made the problem of ordinary South Africans.
There are Adjustment budgets needing to be tabled in order to deliver services. However, with no committee chairperson having been elected, and with no Mayor to present the budget – as per legal requirement – nothing can move forward.
In the event that this municipality again fails to elect an executive on Friday, it will be in deep trouble. In short, the dismal service delivery that this community has had to put up with for years will become even worse.
As the residents of uMngeni are fast seeing, a willing and able government DA-led government gets things done and is already improving the situation on the ground for residents of that municipality.
The DA’s message to MEC Hlomuka and the ANC-led KZN cabinet is this – If you are unwilling and unable to govern Ray Nkonyeni Municipality for the good of all the people, stand aside, and allow the Council to elect a Mayor and Executive that will do so.
It is unacceptable that while the ANC lurches from one crisis to the next, it is the people of our province that are suffering most.
