Officials ‘will be held accountable’

KWAZULU-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala yesterday told those deployed by the party in the provincial government and local municipalities that they would suffer the consequences over their failure to deliver services to communities.

Zikalala was addressing the opening of the party’s provincial lekgotla in Durban yesterday. The event, which ends today, deliberated on the failure of the provincial and local governments to implement policies adopted at previous party conferences.

He said the failure was frustrating the revolution and the party’s election campaign. Zikalala said the ANC should not hide the fact that it was facing service delivery and financial accountability challenges.

“In fact we must express our dismay and displeasure at the level of performance at various municipalities across the province as displayed by the auditor-general’s report.

“As the PEC (provincial executive committee) we have resolved to take drastic steps as we are going to call every municipality that has regressed to come and account to the ANC, irrespective of the level of regress.”

Zikalala said Okhahlamba Municipality, whose main offices are in Bergville, northern KwaZulu-Natal, was the only one that, according to Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu, had performed at its level best in the province over the current financial year.

He said four municipalities – Umzumbe, Umuziwabantu, Ray Nkonyeni, Umhlabuyalingana, King Cetshwayo and Umhlathuze – that had previously performed well had regressed drastically.

He called on party deployees whose municipalities and departments had performed badly to volunteer to step down from their positions