THE DA has written to Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma calling for her to dissolve the dysfunctional Makana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
In January the Makhanda High Court in Grahamstown granted an application brought by the Unemployed People’s Movement to have the Makana Local Municipality dissolved, the court also ordering that an administrator be appointed by the Eastern Cape government to run the municipality’s affairs.
The court ordered that the administrator be appointed until a new municipal council has been elected and also ordered the approval of a temporary budget or revenue-raising measures to give effect to “a recovery plan”.
This is the second time in almost six years that the embattled municipality has been ordered into administration.
The recent ruling has been hailed as a victory for activists who have been in a see-saw battle against the municipality. Yesterday the DA put on more pressure.
In a letter to the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, DA MP Kevin Mileham said Dlamini Zuma should refer it to the national executive.
“The actual High Court order has by and large been ignored, with both the municipality and the provincial executive of the Eastern Cape having sought leave to appeal.
“This cannot be in the best interests of the citizens of Makana, who are still without the basic services of good governance.”
The DA had also written to Faith Muthambi, parliamentary chairperson of the Cogta portfolio committee, asking that the municipal and provincial leadership be summoned before it.