UMngeni Municipality outside Pietermaritzburg was an example of how municipalities, such as Msunduzi, that are struggling with service delivery, could still be transformed to regain their former glory, said the DA’s Msunduzi Municipality’s caucus leader Ross Strachan.

Strachan was addressing the media in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday to share the DA’s ideas of how Msunduzi, whose Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebola was due to table the annual budget on Wednesday, could be rescued from its historical failure to deliver services.

UMngeni had previously been under the ANC since municipalities started operating under the democratic system in the 90s, until the DA won control during the 2021 local government elections. It has since become popularly known as the best-run municipality in the province.  

“UMngeni Municipality is the living proof that good governance, accountability, and proper service delivery are not just pie in the sky, but a plan grounded in a proven track record of success,”  said Strachan. 

He said the solution to challenges at Msunduzi municipality, which is facing debt of R7 billion, was to place its financial management under the direct control of the National Treasury, using Section 139(5) of the Constitution.

Msunduzi spokesperson Ntobeko Ngcobo said the DA’s concern should only be answered by Thebola. 

“I cannot respond to the DA’s statement on the budget, which has not been approved, because we don’t know what the mayor is tabling tomorrow.

“He is having a consultation; he will table the final (budget) tomorrow for adoption,” said Ngcobo. 

 Strachan said placing the municipality’s financial management under the National Treasurer would allow for better fiscal oversight and the implementation of stringent cost controls.

“The DA proposes that Msunduzi engage in renegotiating debt repayment terms and explore debt forgiveness programs or restructuring with creditors, including Eskom, to reduce the overall burden,” he said.

The municipality has been under the administration between 2010 and 2019, and in 2019 again until 2024, before this was technically lifted. 

As the situation was not improving, Premier Thami Ntuli had, early this year, appointed a Premier’s Msunduzi Working Group co-led by former Finance MEC Ravi Pillay.   

Strachan also called for the appointment of Independent Financial Auditors to conduct a forensic audit of the municipality’s finances, “to identify areas of wasteful expenditure, and implement corrective actions”.

Among some of the reasons for failing to deliver adequate service and servicing its debts was that the municipality, which is KwaZulu-Natal’s capital city, was failing to collect debt from residents, businesses and even government departments.  

The DA suggested that this could be solved by equipping both technical and billing departments with advanced smart technology to ensure accurate bill readings and collection of bills.

The party, which is the main opposition in the municipality, said the employees responsible for the billing should be taken through capacity building.

“Fill critical positions in the finance and revenue departments with qualified personnel to streamline billing, revenue collection, and audits. 

“The DA advocates for staff training and capacity building to avoid inefficiencies and improve service delivery,” said Strachan.

He called for the disposal, release, or leasing of vacant, unmaintained properties, land, or assets. 

He said the municipality should aggressively focus on levies on advertising boards, hall hire, and facility hire. 

The DA also wants the municipality to account for delaying the completion of its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which had stalled since 2022, while its completion was expected in 2021.

Strachan said the delay of the city’s BRT, which he said was the city’s biggest capital project, has been affected by the municipality’s collapse, first experienced in 2016. 

Source link