By Gcina Ntsaluba
Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Dr Namane Dickson Masemola met with the Makana Concern Group yesterday morning to address a memorandum of grievances submitted by the community organisation in February 2025.
The meeting, led by Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi of the Makana Concern Group, focused on the municipality’s persistent service delivery failures and the community’s demand for leadership changes at Makana Local Municipality.
Key demands rejected
Archbishop Ngesi expressed the community’s disappointment that the Deputy Minister rejected their primary demands to remove the Mayor, Speaker, Municipal Manager, and Chief Financial Officer, despite acknowledging the municipality’s severe governance failures.
“We were very much surprised when he came back saying that they cannot remove the Mayor, the leadership of the municipality… because the constitution doesn’t allow so,” said Ngesi.
Service delivery crisis persists
The community leader highlighted the municipality’s ongoing failures, particularly the water crisis affecting Makhanda residents. “There is just no water in Makanda. And in some areas, it’s about a month now,” Ngesi stated, adding that infrastructure problems extend beyond water to include deteriorating roads and electricity supply issues, with townships experiencing extended power outages.
Financial management concerns
The Makana Concern Group raised serious concerns about the municipality’s financial management, pointing to six consecutive audit disclaimers from the Auditor General. Ngesi recalled the Deputy Minister’s previous assessment that “there is no government in Makana, there is no command and control.”
Local economic impact
Community concerns also extended to procurement practices, with allegations that contracts are being awarded to outside companies at the expense of local businesses. Ngesi specifically mentioned Hi-Tec Security Services, which has historically provided services to the municipality.
“If they remove Hi-Tec, for instance, 90 people will be affected. That means 90 families will be affected. We don’t want companies from outside to take the bread of the people of Grahamstown,” he said.
Government response and next steps
While the Deputy Minister reportedly committed to deploying eight technical specialists from Pretoria to address water infrastructure issues, community leaders indicated this response was insufficient given the scale of the challenges.
The community is also awaiting feedback from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) regarding corruption investigations within the municipality.
Background
Makana has long struggled with water cuts, potholes, and financial woes – it was under administration from 2015 to 2022 after failing to pay bills and deliver basic services. The Makana Concern Group, made up of residents and activists, has pushed for better accountability since 2018, highlighting issues like sewage leaks and youth joblessness.
The meeting represents part of Cogta’s ongoing intergovernmental accountability engagements, following similar interventions in municipalities across South Africa, including recent visits to Buffalo City Municipality and Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng.
The community organisation indicated they would continue to advocate for leadership changes and improved service delivery, despite the government’s constitutional constraints argument.
