Durban - Opposition parties have accused Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi of “wasting a golden opportunity” when she provided an “inadequate” response on the Section 154 intervention in eThekwini during the State of Local Government Debate yesterday.
Opposition parties have insisted that yesterday’s debate on the state of municipalities was a chance for the MEC to bring everyone up to speed about what had happened in eThekwini Municipality since the announcement of the implementation of a Section 154 in the City. The DA and IFP said that while they felt that the intervention was a mild one when what was needed was a Section 139(b), the MEC had a chance to update the public on what had happened since the announcement.
The DA’s Martin Meyer noted that in May the government said it would institute a Section 154 intervention in the metro. “But here we are in July, and it seems that the Section 154 intervention has disappeared. The only movement we had was when the ANC in eThekwini would not allow the MEC to address council on the intervention.”
He said that since May the situation in eThekwini had deteriorated.
“The DA calls on the MEC to inform this house on where we stand with the intervention in the metro, and to ensure that good governance is implemented, and that the needs of the people are put before the needs and internal strife of the ANC,” the MPL said in a motion.
In her response, the MEC said the City had made huge strides in ensuring that services were rolled out, especially in poor communities, adding that they would not engage in a takeover of eThekwini Municipality, but would assist the municipality to navigate its current challenges.
Sithole-Moloi said her department was committed to ensuring financial accountability and eThekwini Municipality’s ability to deliver on its promises. She defended the application of the Section 154 intervention,saying that the metro was not as bad as had been reported.
In addition to this, the MEC said Cogta’s intervention would not amount to a takeover as some parties suggested, calling for the imposition of a Section 139(b) intervention.
She said that under ANC leadership, the municipality had made commendable strides in improving waste collection, repairing infrastructure, providing housing and solving challenges faced by communities.
“The impressive expenditure on the urban settlements development grant, totalling R1.1 billion, and projections indicating further improvements, highlight our commitment to driving service delivery and improving the lives of the people of eThekwini,” said the MEC.
IFP MPL Otto Kunene said eThekwini needed a more intensive form of intervention, adding that the City was battling in many areas, including:
- Collapse of infrastructure resulting in lack of water supply.
- An unacceptably high crime rate, which is scaring investors away.
- A high number of homeless people, now estimated to be about 10 000.
- The unpalatable situation of beaches, which negatively affects tourism.
- Slow pace of housing delivery, with many people still living in what were supposed to be temporary settlements.
According to the IFP MPL, the MEC had the chance to assure the people of eThekwini when the intervention team would arrive in the city.
“Instead, she chose to please her bosses by engaging in politics and being defensive and not giving an update on the municipality,” said Kunene.