KZN government steps in to stabilise uMdoni municipality

By Alicia Mmashakana

Decisive measures to address the governance and service delivery challenges in the uMdoni local municipality have been announced by KwaZulu-Natal cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi.

The MEC met council members on Monday to communicate the provincial executive’s decision to intervene in the municipality under Section 154(1) of the Constitution.

This follows extensive engagements with the municipality and community members aimed at restoring stability.

Section 154(1) mandates national and provincial governments, through legislative and other measures, to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs and to exercise their powers and functions.

Buthelezi also announced that local government specialist, Dhanpalan Devaraj Naidoo, would be appointed to guide the municipality through its current challenges.

“Naidoo is a seasoned local government specialist whose wealth of experience is unquestionable. We believe his expertise will be crucial in stabilising the municipality,” he said in a