DURBAN - OPPOSITION party councillors deployed to the eThekwini Municipality’s economic development and planning committee have labelled the important body as dysfunctional, saying it was unable to discharge its mandate.
The committee is the economic engine of the city and is supposed to drive economic growth.
The councillors said meetings had been postponed and agendas arrived late, which had affected their ability to engage properly with items they were supposed to process.
However, the municipality has dismissed allegations that the committee was dysfunctional, saying its operations were normal.
DA councillor Siboniso Sibisi said he had resolved to write to the speaker of the municipality, Thabani Nyawose, to highlight the concerning issues.
“That committee is on the verge of being dysfunctional and I have resolved to write to the speaker about this.
“After the meeting was cancelled last week, I am concerned about what items will be sent to the executive committee (on Tuesday),” said Sibisi.
“Another problem is the late arrival of agendas. We are supposed to get them seven days before the meeting, but sometimes we get them two days before the meeting.”
Sibisi said recently the committee had to process a policy on the appointment of board members for the city’s entity without reading the policy because it arrived late.
“We were told that the actual policy would be attached to the agenda. It was not. It was laid on the table (given to us during the meeting), councillors passed a policy without having read it,” he said.
He said the dysfunction hit a new low a few days ago when the committee members were called to a workshop meant to introduce the councillors to the city officials in the unit.
“We were informed about the workshop a day before, just a message and no official communication. There are around 36 councillors that sit on that committee. Only about 11 arrived and maybe six were new councillors.”
IFP councillor Mncedisi Nxumalo acknowledged the challenges and blamed them on poor communication.
He said the party had highlighted these concerns and would like to wait to see if they were addressed before speaking further.
“This committee is a very sensitive committee, it is integral to the economy of the city.”
An EFF councillor declined to comment, saying this would be her first sitting on the committee after she moved from another committee.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela dismissed allegations that the committee was dysfunctional, saying the committee was operating normally and according to schedule.
He said a committee meeting was scheduled for March 18 and the agenda would be delivered on time, 72 hours prior to the meeting, as was the norm.
Speaking on the poorly attended workshop, Mayisela said councillors were invited to attend the workshop and it was up to individual councillors to accept an invitation and attend accordingly.
“Issues of councillor attendance are monitored by the Secretariat Department, but this pertains mostly to actual ordinary meetings since workshops are just additional platforms for empowerment purposes,” he said.