Provincial intervention does not substitute council responsibilities
UMKHANYAKUDE District Municipality Speaker Solomon Mkhombo said intervention by the provincial government does not take away council’s “responsibility” to meet and pass the budget for the 2022/23 financial year.
This as the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) planned to invoke section 139 of the Constitution at a meeting last Tuesday, but which was postponed until last Thursday by Mkhombo.
The clause allows for intervention when a municipality cannot or does not fulfil an executive obligation in terms of the Constitution.
IFP councillors called for action to be taken against Mkhombo after the postponement.
Mkhombo confirmed that IFP district councillors were a no-show at Thursday’s virtual council sitting where the budget and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) were to be passed, and where a Cogta representative presented to council the provincial government’s decision to intervene, invoking section 139 of the Constitution.
The district council has failed on numerous occasions to sit to pass the budget and IDP, with the IFP previously communicating it had resolved to boycott the meetings.
The IFP is of the view that the outcome of last year’s local government elections makes it the legitimate party to lead the district municipality, not the ANC which is currently at the helm.
A court application on this issue will be heard on 3 August.
Mkhombo said during Thursday’s meeting, the administrator Bamba Ndwandwe, who has been granted “escalated” powers following the provincial government’s resolution to intervene at the municipality, announced that a municipal manager (MM), Dr Nhlanhla Sibeko, will start work on Monday.
The speaker said the provincial government would now select “essential items like service delivery” when authorising municipal expenditure.
“The intervention does not take away council’s responsibility to meet and pass the budget so funds can be allocated from the main fiscus,” Mkhombo said.
He said that at the moment his office would not look into the “legislative” measures it can take against councillors who fail to attend council meetings, but would rather engage them first to create harmony and cordial working relations with all councillors.
The chairperson of the IFP in the district, Mfananaye Mathe on Friday said the party would meet at noon, where district municipality issues would be discussed.
IFP Caucus Chair Sihle Ndlovu in a statement on Tuesday called for Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka to act against Mkhombo, whom he accused of collapsing council meetings, in particular last Tuesday’s one, an accusation the speaker dismissed.