The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the dissolution of the eThekwini Council, accusing the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) coalition of running the municipality to the ground.
Ethekwini, the only metropolitan municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, was left hung after the 2021 local government election.
The DA leadership and its supporters staged a picket outside the municipality’s offices, demanding that the Council be dissolved for a fresh restart before the next government election.
The party launched what it called ‘the campaign to rescue KwaZulu-Natal from the clutches of the ANC/EFF coalition.’
The DA says the eThekwini Municipality has failed its citizens in the provision of basic services.
The party says delivery of water and electricity, the disposal of waste as well as ailing infrastructure remains the weakest point of the ANC/EFF coalition. It says that the basic human rights of the local citizens are severely curtailed by the collapse of governance and municipal billing systems.
“It’s very clear the municipality is not able to provide the most basic functions set out in the constitution that the local government is tasked with and therefore we believe that it’s time for a fresh start to reset a button here in eThekwini. Let it be dissolved and let the citizens, the people who matter the most in any democracy, have a say in who they like to see governing the city. We cannot wait another two to three years for the next local government election,” says DA leader John Steenhuisen.
The party has its sights set on taking over KwaZulu-Natal. Its leaders say its pact with the IFP remains solid. The DA says it’s happy with the formation of the MK party, backed by former President Jacob Zuma, as it says it’s likely to reduce ANC votes.
“We are delighted with the arrival of the MK particularly in this province and in Gauteng because any vote that is taken off the ANC makes our job a lot easier to form a majority and that’s what we are looking forward to doing. So MK was a late Christmas present for us and we look forward to them cannibalizing the ANC from the inside,” Steenhuisen added.
On the international front regarding the Israel-Hamas war, the DA reiterated its stance that a lasting peaceful solution would be an independent Palestine and a secured Israel, with new democratically elected leadership in both countries.
“We are in support of a two-state solution in the Middle East of a sovereign and independent and unoccupied Palestine and living along secure Israel and that’s been our position right from the beginning of this crisis. As it relates to the application, genocide is not something that can be subjective. There are international legal criteria that would be required to be assessed and I believe that the place is the ICJ and like any other party we are waiting for the outcome of the ICJ judgment,” Steenhuisen explains.
The DA says it has filed an application to the Human Rights Commission against eThekwini Municipality for what it calls its failure to fulfil its constitutional mandate of providing water so that it’s held accountable.
Video: DA demands dissolution of ANC-EEF eThekwini council
