Three councils busted and broke
Mnquma, Makana and Mgijima to be run by province
THREE Eastern Cape municipalities are on the brink of bankruptcy and paralysis and are likely be taken over and run by the provincial government soon.
Mnquma local municipality is so broke it cannot pay salaries and service providers. Staff have been told to bring their own toilet paper.
Electricity and telephone lines have been cut to Mnquma’s mayoral office and other municipal buildings, the Daily Dispatch was told.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Fikile Xasa has written to the municipalities of Mnquma (Butterworth), Makana (Grahamstown) and Enoch Mgijima (Komani), informing them that he plans to place them under administration within 14 days to restore stability.
That is, unless they can give him reason enough not to do so.
In his letter, Xasa said he was about to invoke Section 139 (1)(a) of the constitution, which empowers him to dissolve a dysfunctional council and appoint an administrator until a new council has been elected.
Cogta spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam said letters of notice were written to mayors Lindiwe Gunuza-Nkwentsha of Enoch Mgijima, Thobeka Bikitsha of Mnquma and Nomhle Gaga of Makana.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayithobi confirmed that Mnquma’s ANC caucus had been summoned to party headquarters at Calata House in King William’s Town last Wednesday to answer to the provincial leadership about the level of chaos in Mnquma council.
Xasa – allegedly on advice from Mnquma mayor Bikitsha – is said to have closed the municipal bank accounts and stopped a July council decision to try and raise an overdraft.
Ngam said yesterday that it was not Xasa who had closed Mnquma’s bank account. “FNB refused to approve an application for the change of signatories in compliance with the court order of November 7 2017.”
He said it was issued by the Mthatha High Court after Bikitsha applied for a court interdict against acting municipal manager Zonwabele Plata.
Ngam said the court ruled in favour of the mayor and interdicted Plata from being a signatory.
Ngam explained that Xasa supported the court decision as he had not approved the appointment of Plata as municipal manager.
Mnquma acting mayor Ndyebo Skelenge confirmed receipt of the letter, saying the municipality would await the return of mayor Bikitsha and the council speaker, Zibuthe Mnqwazi, before holding a council meeting to discuss the Xasa letter.
Gunuza-Nkwentsha said there was no basis to contest Xasa’s recommendation as the Enoch Mgijima municipality had only two managers, Mzoxolo Dingani – who is also the acting municipal manager – and Siyabonga Nkonki.
“The post of municipal manager has been vacant since the amalgamation in August last year. Until today we have been having people acting in that position,” she said. “The administrator will guide council to take the right decisions and also help in managing the institution properly.”