SANDILE MOTHA
HEIGHTENED political tensions and jostling for the control of the municipality between ANC councillors has rendered the uMngeni local municipality on the KwaZulu-Natal midlands ungovernable.
Crucial council meetings in the municipality under the uMgungundlovu district have reportedly failed to sit allegedly because of the existing animosity within the ruling party.
Inside Metros learnt of theseverity of the situation in the local council through one of the councillors representing the ANC in the municipality who wished that their identity be concealed.
“The tension has been an ongoing thing but it’s getting worse by day. Council meetings are collapsing and it’s even difficult to agree on matters around the municipality response on Corona virus because the municipal command team for Covid-19 is failing to convene,” lamented the councillor.
The councillor cited the ANC regional politics as the trigger fuelling bad blood between comrades, saying factions within the Harry Gwala region wanted to use the municipality as a cash cow and advance politically.
“For instance, there are cases where some comrades interfere in the municipal recruitment process insisting that their close associates who are unqualified must be appointed to key positions in the municipality. This has in turn weakened the municipal governance and administrative capacity and hampered service delivery,” he added.
In the recently released municipal audit outcomes measuring financial performance of municipalities, KwaZulu-Natal was featured as one of the worst performing provinces. Out of the province’s 54 municipalities, only one municipality achieved a clean audit courtesy of uKhahlamba local municipality under the uThukela district.
uMngeni featured largely on the Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu report particularly raising issues of poor leadership, financial mismanagement and lack of accountability.
The Democratic Alliance in KZN has also registered their displeasure on the failure of the municipal political leadership and the majority party to get their house into order.
Sphesihle Zondi, DA uMngeni municipality caucuses chief whip, said there was an important full council meeting scheduled for this week but it collapsed.
“This is just the latest example of the dire state that the municipality is in due to the lack of political leadership and administrative competence. The municipality continues to collapse under the ANC leadership and the residents are left to pick up the pieces,” said Zondi.
According to Zondi, the ANC councillors are deliberately being absent in council meetings owed to break down in relations between the municipal speaker and some councillors within her caucus.
“The crucial council meeting scheduled for Thursday this week where 4th quarter report was going to be tabled has to be cancelled as it did not quorate due to the absence of the ANC councillors. There was not a single ANC councillor present except the speaker,” he said.
(COMPILED BY INSIDE METROS STAFF)