Nquthu Municipality: when elephants fight the grass gets trampled
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) notes the decision by National CoGTA Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to overturn the provincial government’s resolution to place the Nquthu Municipality under administration.
While the DA is far from impressed by the manner in which the IFP is running its municipalities, we believe that the Minister’s move should be welcomed. This on the basis that the original decision by CoGTA MEC, Sipho Hlomuka – to place Nquthu under administration – was politically driven.
It is no secret that the ANC and IFP in KZN are not able to work together and are often at loggerheads where they respectively govern. Mkhanyakude is another example of this.
The result of this hostility is dysfunctional municipalities, lack of intergovernmental cooperation and poor alignment at different levels of government. One only has to look at how disaster management and water provision is being rolled out across the Northern parts of the province to see this.
The DA believes that there are a number of ANC-run district and local councils that should have been dissolved or placed under administration long ago.
However, due to the inability of the ANC to implement strict consequence management against its own cadres and the KZN Executives weak political grip on the province, residents in these various municipalities continue to suffer as a result of failing service delivery and a shrinking economy.
While the DA acknowledges that service delivery in Nquthu is at a dismal all time low, MEC Hlomuka has forced a political decision onto the municipality rather than rationalising the powers given to him in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution.
The DA in KZN has and will continue to proactively provide examples of good governance and solutions to the province’s local government woes in order to improve the lives of the people of our province. If the DA-led Western Cape can care for its citizens, why can the ANC-run province of KZN not do the same?
It is clear that it is not the people of KZN that are at fault but those in positions of power and influence.
Media Enquiries
Chris Pappas, MPL
DA KZN Spokesperson on CoGTA
081 017 6622
Lauren Silen
Media Liaison to the DA in the KZN Legislature
083 7799009