Makana Municipality has been instructed to go under administration with immediate effect.
The order to invoke section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution comes from the provincial government, following a meeting of the ANC's top regional, provincial and local leadership last night.
Makana Municipality has been instructed to go under administration with immediate effect.
The order to invoke section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution comes from the provincial government, following a meeting of the ANC's top regional, provincial and local leadership last night.
The news emerged as protesters flocked to the City Hall to protest a host of municipal problems. Various groups within the city took to the streets in protest, and striking municipal workers have been toyi-toyiing since Monday 25 August over the non-payment of overtime.
Residents affected by this week's water cuts joined forces with a march organised by the Unemployed People's Movement and local government watchdog the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM), calling for action on the municipality's financial shambles.
The party's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) for the Eastern Cape, Regional Executive Committee (REC) for the Sara Baartman region and Mayoral Executive Committee met in Bhisho last night to discuss measures to address the municipality's financial crisis.
The proposal to place Makana Municipality under administration came from the ANC Regional Executive Committee in Sara Baartman, which initially made the recommendation six weeks ago to the Provincial Executive Committee. Secretary Scara Njadayi said the REC had resolved that a 'radical intervention' was needed in Makana municipality.
"We proposed that section 139 (1) (b) must be invoked in the institution. Last night the PEC, the mayoral committee of Makana Municipality and the REC met and there was a consensus to hand over the municipality," said Njadayi. He could not comment on why the PEC did not attend to their proposal six weeks ago, when the provincial body met and discussed which municipalities needed provincial intervention.
Njadayi said Makana Municipality would table and adopt a resolution during a special council meeting to be held tomorrow. Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance yesterday issued a statement calling for the municipality to be placed under administration. MP for the party's Frontier constituency Andrew Whitfield said they had written to local government MEC Fikile Xasa to have Makana placed under administration.
"By placing the municipality under administration the MEC can designate any person or persons to implement the intervention," Whitfield said in a statement.
"It can charge this person with ensuring that the relevant obligations in terms of service delivery and financial management are fulfilled and that they will continue to be fulfilled in future.
"Grahamstown, once a shining star in the firmament of local government, is once again on the verge of collapse and financial bankruptcy."
Whitfield said this corroborated the DA's claims made late last year and earlier this year that the municipality was being mismanaged and "essentially looted" by the ANC-led council of Mayor Zamuxolo Peter.
Whitfield said since February the party had been repeatedly forewarned, at local, provincial and national level, about the problems facing Makana.
Makana is currently being assisted by provincial government under section 154 (1) of the Constitution. This is meant to provide support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs. Under this section, two people have been sent by the provincial government to assist Makana municipality.
Themba Mnguni, acting municipal manager, and Busi Khumalo, acting chief financial officer, have been deployed in the municipality by the provincial government. (PSAM) called for the implementation of Section 139 of the Constitution two weeks ago.
