Strict conditions have been put in place by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to ensure that the Section 154 intervention at the eThekwini Municipality, which will see experts brought in to bring stability to the province’s only metro, succeeds.
Section 154 of the Constitution allows the national government “to support and strengthen” municipalities’ capacity to handle their own affairs, among other things.
The new MEC for Cogta, the Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, on Thursday, during a meeting with the councillors in the executive committee of the municipality, announced the revival of the intervention as he confirmed that Dr Mike Sutcliffe and Dr Cassius Lubisi are the two governance experts appointed to lead the process.
“The Mercury” has seen a document with the terms of reference that range from ensuring that the municipality delivers services to addressing and dealing with acts of malfeasance by ensuring findings of forensic investigations are implemented.
The announcement was welcomed by councillors who were part of the meeting. The intervention was first proposed months ago by the then Cogta MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi when it became clear that the municipality was struggling on many fronts, including the spending of grants.
Buthelezi said no national Cabinet decision can be ignored and Cogta cannot fold its arms while a municipality battles to perform optimally.
The team to lead the intervention has been given 16 terms of reference.
These include conducting an assessment of the key challenges faced by the municipality and developing a turnaround plan on the priorities, ensuring that the municipality is supported in building a clean, effective and responsive government, ensuring that it is supported in implementing findings of investigations and ensuring that it is supported in providing basic services to the people of eThekwini.
Opposition party councillors said the intervention was long overdue.
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said the intervention means the provincial government will have a say as well as provide assistance in the running of the once-prestigious eThekwini municipality.
EFF leader in the municipality Themba Mvubu said the intervention was welcomed. IFP caucus secretary councillor Jonathan Annipen said the party welcomed the action by Cogta and the provincial government.
Buthelezi said the aim is to restore eThekwini to its former status as the jewel in the crown of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Mercury