Durban - Durban’s executive committee (exco) that governs the city and rubber-stamps development has not met for nearly a month, holding up decisions on burning issues and infrastructure projects..
All the recent meetings, which usually happen on a Tuesday, have been cancelled at the last minute.
The last meeting took place on August 27.
Committee whip Nigel Gumede said the meetings had been cancelled for a number of reasons, including that mayor James Nxumalo was overseas and deputy mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala had been hospitalised and had also been away on business.
But opposition parties said the consequences would be far-reaching.
Issues that remain unresolved and which need exco attention include the future of Virginia Airport; the future of Durban’s bus service; the future of security (body) guards under the metro police; the appointment of an IFP exco member to replace an MF member; and the approval of emergency contracts.
DA exco member Zwakele Mncwango said even if the mayor or the city manager were unavailable, the running of the municipality could not stop – which was what was now happening.
“Service delivery is on hold,” he said.
“This is total disrespect for the public.”
Exco members were paid R838 000 a year – a monthly salary of about R70 000 – and they were sitting doing nothing, he said.
Wrong
Mncwango said stalling the approval of infrastructure projects would lead to a surge of irregular expenditure and section 36 contracts to circumvent exco and expedite projects.
“What is worse is that when we go to a full council meeting, councillors will not have enough time to go through the agenda which is crucial to making informed decisions,” he said.
IFP caucus leader Prem Iyir said “burning issues” had been left undiscussed.
“They (exco) have already postponed the full council meeting to October 1 from September 29 which means that this month we will not have a full sitting. It is very wrong.”
NFP councillor Bongiwe Mtshali believed that opposition parties were being undermined.
She complained about meetings being cancelled at the last minute and not being given an explanation.
“They are messing us and eThekwini residents around. How are we supposed to get through issues if we don’t meet? This has never happened before.”
Mtshali was also concerned that after all these cancellations they would be left with a long list of section 36 contracts to approve.
“This is not how we are supposed to do things.”
For yesterday’s meeting Gumede explained that mayor Nxumalo and councillor Nondumiso Cele were unavailable because they were in Chicago participating in World Routes 2014, an event that brings together global players in the aviation and tourism industry.
Shabalala was in Cape Town and councillor Zandile Gumede was in Joburg, both on municipal business.
“With them away, we did not have a quorum to have a meeting.
“Last week the deputy mayor, who is standing in for the mayor, was admitted to hospital and we had to cancel,” he said.
The previous week, the meeting was cancelled because the memebers of the National Council of Provinces were visiting.
Gumede admitted that the councillors had been informed late, but said they should have taken the initiative to find out why. - The Mercury