The DA in KwaZulu-Natal today calls on the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, to urgently intervene at the Umuziwabantu Local Municipality for service delivery to resume.
This as members of the “Business Forum” in the town of Harding, have allegedly locked staff out of the buildings and effectively shut down the municipality. They are demanding 30% of the perceived profits or 30% of awarded contracts or a lucrative contract.
This conduct is commonplace in KZN as mafia styled groups engage in acts of extortion with evident impunity.
The recent warnings by Judge Raymond Zondo of the threat of another episode of state capture, were directed at the presidency and parliament. The reality here in KZN is that it never ended. The brazen demands for payments in exchange for “allowing projects to proceed without interference”, have been ongoing for many years without any signs of abating.
The response from ANC leadership and senior officials has always been to accommodate them in one way or another. There is an ominous unwillingness to lay charges of assault, extortion, intent to extort, intimidation or any other relevant categories of criminal conduct that apply. The other disturbing feature of this regular practice is the unwillingness with the police to involve themselves and provide a swift response.
The relationships that exist between ANC public representatives, their cadres in the administration, and members of the forums, may be part of the reason for the reluctance by the South African Police Services (SAPS) to become involved. This is akin to the inside jobs of theft that take place from time to time without exposure and consequences. Investigating criminal charges in a municipality where there is reason to suspect collusion and participation from the inside, is never going to be an easy task.
KZN’s MEC for Public Works, Sipho Nkosi, has indicated that he will negotiate with the Construction Mafias who are responsible for the loss of an estimated R3 billon due to their tactics. However, sideling legal processes of supply chain management, is not a solution and must be condemned. It compounds and encourages the problem.
This is not a new racket and President Ramaphosa referred to it in his State of the Nation Address. It is time that our president takes to heart the DA’s proposal to prevent State Capture 2.0 if we hope to end the corruption and criminal conduct that consumes public funds, robs us of decent services and drives people out of work as our economy withers.
The only lasting way to rid our society of rampant crime and brutality, is to elect a government that is dedicated to clean practices and principles. UMngeni Municipality gives our citizens a glimpse of just how much better life becomes where Good Governance prevails. This could be the reality for residents of KwaZulu-Natal provided they use their voice by voting in the 2024 elections.