DA set ultimatum to mayor of EMLM
Threat of non-payment of rates if municipality does not improve in three months
Their time of taking residents for granted is over and power is in everyone’s hands to change the status quo by voting for change
DA premier candidate Nqaba Bhanga gave Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) mayor Sisisi Tolashe three months to turn the state of the municipality around, failing which he will mobilise people to stop paying for rates and services.
The ultimatum from Bhanga followed a service delivery protest that saw hundreds of DA supporters march from the truck stop at the western end of Cathcart Road to the municipal offices in Komani, where a memorandum of demands was handed over to Tolashe.
Bhanga said Komani used to be one of the most beautiful towns in the province,
but since the ANC government had taken over it had deteriorated, with pothole-ridden streets, ailing electricity infrastructure and municipal assets that were important for service delivery having been sold at an auction last year. “I give you three months to improve the situation in this municipality or I will mobilise all people, including businesses, to withhold their buying power and stop paying for rates and services they do not even get.
“You cannot have people in leadership positions who continue to squander money meant for the betterment of the people living in this area. We will ensure that no municipal official is paid by encouraging residents to refrain from paying for services. It is incorrect to continue rewarding people for things they fail to do.”
Bhanga visited several areas in Komani on Sunday when he also met with the business fraternity to listen to their grievances.
“This municipality is bankrupt to a point where it cannot even pay businesses it hired to do certain projects. I was in Victoria Park and Mlungisi, where heaps of litter plague the areas because the municipality simply does not do its job. Many poor people who deserve RDP houses live in shacks and your councillors require sexual favours as a prerequisite to getting a house. That is disgusting to say the least. Young people are unemployed because if you are not friends with the ANC people you will not get a job, whether you qualify or not.”
In the memorandum, the DA called for all financial transactions, including investment accounts, from EMLM and former entities Tsolwana, Nkwanca and Lukhanji local municipalities, to determine where all monies flowed to.
“All of these are fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditures of the local authority and the three former entities with the aim of implementing proper consequence management on officials and office bearers responsible for the financial woes of EMLM.
“A complete investigation on all bid adjudication, committee appointments of service providers or contractors by current and former entities, as well as a complete audit on projects and the quality thereof.
“The DA is also extremely concerned about the allegations of sex for jobs and sex for houses in the municipality. We therefore want the administrator, Vuyo Mlokothi, who has been appointed by MEC Fikile Xasa, to immediately conduct a full investigation and that any evidence obtained be handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution,” read the memorandum.
Bhanga said a forensic investigation into the local authority's finances for the period 2015/2016 to 2018/2019 financial years, two years prior to the amalgamation of the municipalities and the two subsequent years was needed.
DA national spokesperson for basic services Makashule Gana said he supported the march because corruption was a huge problem in the municipality.
“We have given the mayor a time frame to address the issues we have tabled before her in the memorandum and warned her that if she does not turn around this municipality, the worst will descend for the ANC-led municipality.
“Their time of taking residents for granted is over and power is in everyone’s hands to change the status quo by voting for change come May 8.”
The manager in the office of the mayor, Butsha Lali, said the mayor received the DA’s petition and will honour it by looking at all the issues raised, in preparation for a formal response to the party as a critical stakeholder in the municipality.
“However, we are disappointed at the reported utterances, if they are accurately attributed to the DA leader, regarding non-payment of rates and services. We are sparing no effort in improving provision of basic services. Therefore at no stage should any responsible leader discourage or mobilise residents and businesses for non payment of services as that plunges the institution into further financial woes.”