Durban -
The controversial Dubul’ iBhunu (Shoot the Boer) song reared its ugly head during an emotionally charged public meeting debating the merger of the financially crippled Mpofana (Mooi River) and uMngeni (Howick and Hilton) municipalities.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan has asked that the Municipal Demarcation Board help in “disestablishing” Mpofana and incorporating the municipality’s wards into neighbouring councils.
The public meeting, held at the Howick West community hall on Thursday, descended into chaos about 30 minutes after it started, with ANC supporters confronting uMngeni residents opposing the change.
Three wards will be incorporated in uMngeni, one in Umvoti, and a portion of Ward 2 in Impendle.
“The effect of this would be the total disestablishment of Mpofana LM (local municipality),” reads Gordhan’s request.
Tempers flared when Municipal Demarcation Board member Isobel Konyn opened the floor for the public to “air” their views.
DA MP Greg Krumbock was the first to voice his unhappiness about the proposal.
He received a mixed reaction from the audience - he was initially cheered before being heckled by a group of ANC supporters streaming into the hall.
Krumbock said if the merger were approved, “75% of the people would come from this municipality, more importantly, 94% of the rates would come from this municipality. It is right that we have been consulted”.
He said there was something “fundamentally dishonest” about the proposal.
“There’s only R9 million worth of rates that comes to Mpofana as opposed to R144m that comes in from uMngeni.”
Mano Naidoo, the chairman of the uMngeni ratepayers’ association, struggled to make his point as he was booed.
Konyn struggled to contain the uproar and called off the meeting. The commotion saw ANC region leaders and supporters flood the stage, sparking a walkout by the residents who were against the merger.
Mpofana mayor Maureen Magubane was in high spirits, ululating and chanting: “We want to taste the honey.”
She shouted: “People shall share.”
Posters in support of the merger were held aloft, reading: “uMngeni welcomes the merger between Mpofana municipality and uMngeni municipality”.
Two men had to be separated at the hall’s entrance after almost trading blows.
The ANC’s Moses Mabhida region secretary, Mzi Zuma, said: “The Demarcation Act states that the consolidation of boundaries enhances the cohesion in those communities.
“As it is stated in the act, the amalgamation of these municipalities will strengthen the financial viability of both the municipalities joined.”
He said anyone who dismissed the merger did so in support of the apartheid system of “Bantustans”.
“We won’t allow that,” he said.
With uMngeni residents “bullied” out of the meeting, ANC supporters filed into the hall to fill in the critical Municipal Demarcation Board’s input sheet.
After the meeting, Konyn said: “I hope people have heard what we’ve had to say and we’ll make submissions (to the board)”.
Asked if she expected the chaos, she said “it is a political issue”.
Residents attending the meeting were given “input sheets” to fill in. The form invited them to “indicate whether you support or reject the proposed redetermination by ticking the applicable factors in the table below”.
A large group who opposed the merger left the hall after they “felt intimidated and threatened” by those in support of the merger.
The Mpofana council was dissolved and its seven councillors were relieved of their duties in September last year owing to “non-performance or political infighting”.
An administrator was appointed before Magubane was appointed in December.
The Mercury