eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba (ANC) has called on KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure Martin Meyer (DA) to settle rates debt of over R500 million owed by the department, after the city cut electricity to several provincial facilities.

Meyer said his department tried repeatedly to reach the municipality last week to agree on a payment plan but got no response. The standoff has led to power being cut to the offices of public works, transport, and education, as well as licensing centres in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

“On 28 November 2025, we formally declared an Intergovernmental Dispute under the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act. This is a legally mandatory process for resolving disputes between organs of state.

eThekwini has chosen to ignore it entirely, in direct violation of the Constitution. This leaves us with no choice but to consider our options further,” Meyer said.

“This morning (Tuesday),

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