Letter to the Makana municipal manager

Dear Mr Kate

I am writing to bring to your attention a pressing concern that I have witnessed regarding municipal employees in the Roads and Stormwater section. On the 27 August 2025 at about 8am I saw about eight municipal employees around Noluthando Hall. I did nothing as I thought maybe they were waiting for their transport. On the 28 August 2025 at about 10am I saw the same employees seated in the Noluthando Hall yard playing dominos. I then approached them so as to ascertain the reason why they were not at work; I could see that all were not wearing municipal gear.

They indicated that for the past two years this has been their situation. In the past they used to report at the depot and sat doing nothing, but recently due to the breakdown of their truck, they are now reporting at Noluthando Hall, and others at BB Zondani Hall, as there is no transport to take them up to the depot.

So basically, about 28 employees have been reporting for work and paid every month but are not doing the actual work. They have also confirmed that the MMC, Director and the Manager are all aware of the situation:

1. A lack of personal protective equipment

2. An absence of tools

3. No vehicle

As the Democratic Alliance in Makana Municipality we are deeply concerned that this situation has been allowed to continue for an extended period and it is having a detrimental impact on the community of Makhanda. The lack of effective road maintenance and stormwater management can lead to various issues, including safety hazards, infrastructure damage, and decreased quality of life for residents.

The financial impact of municipal employees reporting to work without performing their duties due to lack of tools and protective clothing can be substantial. This situation may lead to irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure and a loss of public trust.

The Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) 56 of 2003, requires the following:

Sound financial management
Prohibits irregular expenditure
Imposes criminal liability

In cases where municipal officials fail to perform their duties due to lack of resources or support it may be considered a failure of financial management and potentially a breach of the MFMA. The municipality’s accounting officer and other officials may be held accountable for such failures.

As the DA we urge you to take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure that the necessary resources are provided to enable employees to perform their duties effectively. This includes providing PPE, tools and vehicles to facilitate their work.

The DA would appreciate it if you could provide us with an update on the steps you plan to take to address this matter within the next 14 working days. This is an administrative matter that needs you MM to action urgently, it cannot continue like this.

Thanking you for your attention to this pressing concern.

Cllr Luvuyo Sizani, DA Caucus Leader