Cope welcomes decision to place Msunduzi Municipality under administration

By Ofentse Mokae
17 March 2010

The Congress of the People in Kwa-Zulu Natal has welcomed the decision by Co-operative Governance MEC Nomusa Dube, to place the Msunduzi Municipality under administration, and strip the entire municipality of their powers.

This follows after Dube received several complaints about poor service delivery in the area.

Dube last week stripped the Msunduzi mayor and the executive committee of their powers.

Cope in the province says the decision confirms their view that the current ANC-led council is incapable of running a municipality.

The party says along with ratepayers and civic organisations, they have been expressing concern for years about problems with the running of the Municipality.

“However the council and officials, with typical arrogance, have ignored all warnings and lurched from crisis to crisis,” said Cope provincial organiser Xolisa Londa.

Londa says while they are pleased, they do have reservations as the executive has only been suspended and not expelled completely.

"If one adds in the salaries of the Municipal Manager, the various deputies and the project managers all of whom are currently doing nothing, then the salary bill is easily doubled," added Londa.

She says COPE would like to suggest that the MEC adheres to the hard line that the ANC has always proclaimed that it will take, and fires these councillors and officials for once and for all.

A number of underperforming municipalities have been placed under administration and the ANC has fired some Executive Mayors and their Mayoral Committee members, such as those at Mpumalanga’s Lekwa municipality.