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According to recent reports, various KwaZulu-Natal Municipalities are dealing with unruly behaviour from leaders. This follows a series of allegations and court cases regarding municipal officials.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) stated that it is currently looking into the Amajuba District Municipality, following serious allegations made against the son of District Mayor, Cllr Vuselwa Bam.
Allegedly, Cllr Bam’s son hand-picked a company for a R46 million tender to build a wastewater treatment plant in the eMadlangeni Municipality (Utrecht).
The allegations were brought forward by a whistle-blower, who wrote to KZN COGTA. The whistle-blower also claimed that the Municipal Manager, Mandlenosi Sithole, allegedly disregarded a recommendation from the bid adjudication committee to cancel the tender and then re-advertise it after objections were made.
Senzilwe Mzila, the Spokesperson for COGTA was contacted for comment on the situation surrounding the Amajuba District and Utrecht Municipality. “At this time, we cannot comment on the matter, as the Department is doing its own information gathering on the issue.”
As COGTA now prepares to look into the matter, the Amajuba District Municipality is not the only local municipality in KZN that has come under scrutiny recently.
This comes after the Msinga Municipality Mayor, Cllr Mletheni Ndlovu, and his two bodyguards appeared in the Msinga Magistrate’s Court on various firearm-related charges.
Moreover and according to Natasha Kara, the KZN Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ndlovu was charged with failure to lock up a firearm in a prescribed safe, as well as handing a firearm to a person not permitted to be in possession of such.
Additionally, the Mayor of uPhongola Municipality, Cllr Velephi Sikhosana was recently sued after being accused of borrowing R80 000 from an upcoming businesswoman. She apparently promised to pay it back once the municipal budget had been approved.
Then there are the issues within the AbaQulusi (Vryheid) Municipality. Recently, the Vryheid’s Deputy Mayor, Cllr Mandla Mazibuko, referred to protestors as baboons in a voice note.
With quite a bout of chaos stemming from those meant to be showing professionalism and restraint, MEC for KZN COGTA, Sihle Zikalala said COGTA continued to call for Councillors in local municipalities to hold themselves to the highest of standards on conduct when it came to the respect of the country’s rule of law.
“The latest developments that have taken place within the sphere of local government concerning the conduct of some office bearers in our municipalities leaves a lot to be desired. While we respect the principle of innocence until proven guilty, we are concerned that allegations surrounding office bearers in Msinga, Abaqulusi and Pongola have a direct impact on the credibility of these institutions whose sole mandate is to provide essential services to our communities.”
MEC for KZN COGTA, Sihle Zikalala
However, he noted that COGTA had full confidence in law enforcement agencies and their abilities to investigate the serious allegations surrounding these office bearers and take the appropriate actions.
“We are also confident that the councils will also play their part as empowered by the councillors’ code of conduct to hold the respective councillors accountable should there be any wrongdoing. As the Executive Authority in this portfolio, I have no intention to fail in my responsibility as empowered by the Systems Act to act against councillors should the councils fail to do their part,” emphasised Zikalala.
Furthermore, the MEC has also called for calm within the affected communities, assuring them that it was within their right to demand ethical leadership that will work in their interest. “As a department, we are committed to uphold and demand more from all Councillors, as they took an oath of office when they were sworn into their respective councils,” he concluded.
With all this swirling around in your mind, what are your thoughts?
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