Durban — Opposition political parties in the uThukela District Municipality have called on the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government to dissolve the municipality after its bank account was frozen.
It is alleged that the municipality could not pay a R15 million debt it owed a service provider. The service provider has since obtained a court order to attach the municipality’s assets, including its bank account.
Attempts to get hold of the service provider, Rasp Consultancy CC, were unsuccessful, but in the court papers that were seen by the Daily News, the company is owed R15m. According to the order, the money was supposed to be settled with 11.25% interest in March, which the municipality failed to do, hence the service provider applied for the attachment, which was granted.
UThukela District Municipality’s manager Mpumelelo Mnguni said the problem was created by the service provider, which brought incomplete documents. Mnguni said that as a result, the accounting officer was unable to approve payment. Mnguni said the municipality would challenge the matter in court.
Reacting to the news, the National People’s Assembly (NPA) and ANC in the municipality called on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi to dissolve the council. The parties said their call was informed by the fact that all measures, including placing the municipality under administration, have failed, so there were no other options that could rescue the municipality.
NPA leader and councillor Nkosinathi Mthethwa said nothing was functioning in the municipality and urged the government to prevent its collapse for the sake of the residents.
“We really don’t know what needs to be done to rescue this ‘sinking ship’. How can a municipality function without funds? It is clear we have hit a dead end,” said Mthethwa.
ANC regional spokesperson Bheki Khanyile accused the IFP-run council of being arrogant and refusing to acknowledge and work with the administrator, Nathi Madondo. He said undermining Madondo, who was appointed by the provincial cabinet, in terms of the law governing the municipalities was tantamount to undermining the provincial government and the MEC. Khanyile said such acts require a severe punishment.
“As the ANC we also call on the provincial government to swiftly take action. We cannot dictate to the government what intervention, but we strongly believe the proper one will be the dissolution of the municipality,” said Khanyile.
Khanyile said the IFP has collapsed the municipality because they regard the municipality as their own spaza shop, instead of a public service institution.
“Hence, they forget that accountability is inalienable. The uThukela District community has seen enough. We have written to the public protector, human rights commission, you name them, but the situation remains the same. It has been nothing but a thorn in the communities’ flesh since 2021,” said Khanyile.
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