More municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal could be placed under administration. The announcement was made by Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Sipho Hlomuka during a meeting with provincial mayors in Bergville in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands.
Nine out of a total of 54 municipalities in the province are currently under administration. These include the province’s Capital Pietermaritzburg, EThekwini Metro and a slew of other municipalities which are reportedly on the brink of collapse.
Continued in-fighting is cited as one of the contributing factors. This is negatively affecting delivery of services. COGTA says this can no longer be tolerated.
Hlomuka says: “It might be possible that the municipalities might go to intervention section 189 if they don’t change the way they are doing things.”
Hlomuka wants municipalities to devise ways of paying back their Eskom debts. “There are those municipalities that are in distress. We have a concrete plan,” he said.
Meanwhile a group of disgruntled Bethany residents protested outside the meeting venue. They were demanding the removal of their councillor. The councillor is accused of embezzling land restitution compensation funds.
The community of Bethany did not vote in May’s general elections.
