The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini can reveal that the majority of the eThekwini Executive Committee has agreed to the DA’s request to urgently convene a meeting.
In terms of the Section 50 (1) of the Municipal Structures Act, a majority of the Executive Committee (EXCO) can write to the Mayor, who chairs the EXCO, and request a meeting.
This threshold has been met with EXCO Councillors, Deputy Mayor, Philani Mavundla (ABC), Mduduzi Nkosi (IFP), Thabane Miya (EFF), and the three DA councillors (Thabani Mthethwa, Yogis Govender and Nicole Graham) having all agreed that the city’s leadership needs to urgently meet and discuss several critical issues facing the municipality.
The meeting has now been scheduled by the Mayor for 1pm on Friday the 13th of May.
Prior to this, ANC Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda had not called an Executive Committee in 16 days despite a number of growing disasters unfolding in the city. The next Executive Committee meeting was only scheduled for next week Tuesday; some three weeks after the last meeting. This is simply not good enough.
eThekwini’s growing leadership vacuum has worsened the effects of a devastating natural disaster which has led to protests across the city as resident continue to access work, deal with continued power outages, and collapse in basic governance in eThekwini.
The issues that have been tabled for discussion by the DA are:
- The city’s water crisis, including the Tongaat WTW and the auxiliary relief systems (tankers etc);
- The stability of our electricity network, including in rural communities;
- The repairs to our sewer trunk mains and waste water treatment works;
- The progress of engineering works, rebuilding and clearing;
- The status of grant funding and disaster relief funding;
- Displaced communities and those living in community halls;
- Communications including call centres and Whatsapp lines;
- Claims processes for affected private home owners.
It is important to note that not a single member of the ANC has replied to the call to hold an urgent meeting. The Executive Committee is a collective system and every member has a democratic duty to put the interests of residents ahead of party and factional interests. However, the majority of members have forged ahead with a solution.
The DA thanks the majority of the Executive Committee, including the Deputy Mayor, who have agreed to this proposal and who have formally written to Mayor Kaunda to table this resolution. The Mayor will chair Friday’s 1pm meeting.