ANC KZN rejects DA’s allegations on unpaid rates, calls for urgent action from MECs
The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has rejected claims made by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is failing to pay municipal rates due to a historical debt.
The ANC called the DA’s accusations misleading and insisted that when the party led the provincial government, the settlement of municipal rates was taken seriously.
ANC KZN spokesperson Fanle Sibisi emphasised the steps the ANC government took to ensure payments were made.
He pointed to an adjustment budget of R700 million approved in the past two financial years, specifically allocated to settle outstanding municipal rates.
“In the past two financial years, the ANC government approved an adjustment budget of R700 million for the Department of Public Works specifically to settle arrear rates,” he said.
Sibisi further explained that the ANC government had established a committee, including officials from the Departments of Public Works, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the Provincial Treasury, to oversee payments.
“All departments were required to report to the Premier through a committee dedicated to addressing the payment of rates and services owed to municipalities,” he said.
The ANC said it agreed with the Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Cyril Xaba, that both the MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer, and the MEC for Finance, Francois Rodgers, were not giving this matter the attention it deserved.
“The ANC calls on the two MECs to prioritise the needs of municipalities in their planning, as their inaction adversely affects ratepayers, particularly poor communities who rely solely on municipalities for essential basic services,” Sibisi said.
He also highlighted the significant financial strain caused by unfunded mandates, specifically underfunded and unfunded obligations that have cost the eThekwini Municipality more than R1.6 billion.
This, the ANC argued, highlights the growing pressure on municipalities resulting from provincial government mismanagement.
Addressing the DA’s call for legal action over the debt, the ANC argued that the matter does not need to be taken to court, as there is no dispute over the amount owed.
“There is no need to go to courts as they only adjudicate disputes. As far as we are concerned, there is no dispute. The amount owed is not in dispute. The law instructs them to pay creditors within 30 days, unless they consider themselves to be above the law,” he stated.
“The losers in this court process are the residents of eThekwini who have to pay for the lawyers to defend this frivolous case. The DA is really cheating the residents of eThekwini.”
The ANC also raised concerns over the recent shutdown of services at the Natalia Building, which houses several crucial government departments, after Umsunduzi Local Municipality cut off electricity due to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s failure to settle its bill.
The ANC has urged the MECs to consult with their former executive authorities to understand how previous administrations managed municipal payments.
“The ANC calls on both MECs to humble themselves and consult the former executive authorities who led these departments, in order to learn how things were previously done,” Sibisi said.
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