The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has written to provincial CoGTA MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, to call for an urgent meeting as challenges within the troubled Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM) show no sign of ending. (view here)
The call comes as the municipality remains without an elected leadership, including a Mayor and Deputy Mayor. At this stage, only a Speaker has been elected, meaning that there is only one person holding an executive position in the municipality.
Following the 1 November Local Government Elections (LGE), council was due to have met on 16 November to elect these structures. Regrettably, this has failed to take place to date, allegedly as a result of ongoing ANC factionalism.
Currently, all attempts to elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayor have failed due to ANC councillors’ refusal to attend a meeting, resulting in there being no quorum to continue with such.
With committee meetings scheduled to commence shortly and the municipality’s Adjustments Budget needing to be tabled, the lack of an executive committee is set to pose a direct risk to service delivery.
This situation cannot be allowed to continue. Those living within RNM have already endured years of poor service delivery. They cannot be expected to put up with any more.
To date, the DA’s efforts to stabilize the situation and ensure proper governance in RNM include the municipality’s DA caucus leader writing to the Speaker to demand an urgent elective council meeting to ensure the election of an executive structure.
When the ANC councilors failed to attend this meeting, the DA caucus – supported by other opposition parties – demanded an investigation into the violation of the Councillors Code of Conduct, and the provision of disciplinary procedures thereof.
It is clear that the MEC can no longer sit back as ANC infighting further destroys this municipality.
The time has come for him to intervene. In this regard, the DA is committed to engaging with the MEC on behalf of the residents of RNM in order to find a constructive way forward.
We sincerely hope that MEC Hlomuka will see the urgency of the situation and respond accordingly. In the event that he does not, we will be forced to approach the Premier for action.
