Durban — Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi reassured community members under the Umdoni Local Municipality that the department will intervene appropriately to restore good governance and delivery of basic services.
Buthelezi made this commitment on Monday morning following an engagement with protesting members of the Umdoni community.
The Umdoni community had blockaded the offices of the municipality and accused it of service delivery failures and corruption.
In the meeting that took place outside the municipal offices, Buthelezi expressed his concern about the inability of the municipal leadership to deal with the issues raised by the community, which include allegations of corruption and service delivery failures.
The MEC also highlighted the inability of the council to address the Section 106 forensic investigation conducted by Cogta in 2018 and its recommendations, which have yet to be acted upon by the council.
“The failure to act on the forensic investigation by the council creates an unfavourable perception of how seriously the municipality takes the issue of corruption,” Buthelezi said.
Buthelezi committed to writing to the council speaker to convene an urgent meeting to address the matters raised by the community and that Cogta is committed to seeing the concerns of the community being addressed by the municipality.
“Transparency and accountability are crucial in restoring trust and ensuring effective service delivery," Buthelezi said.
Furthermore, Buthelezi called on the exco of the municipality to exercise proper oversight and not allow matters to go unresolved; and that the committee must take a proactive role in ensuring that these issues are addressed promptly and effectively.
Buthelezi also called upon the community to allow due processes to be followed in the investigation of corruption allegations.
“It is essential that we follow proper procedures to ensure that justice is served and trust is restored,” he stated.
Buthelezi stressed that resolving these issues is a priority and that every effort will be made to ensure the municipality functions effectively.
The MEC pledged his commitment to supporting municipalities so that they can function effectively and said he will not hesitate to act where municipalities are not acting in the interest of residents.
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