The DA in Emakhazeni will approach the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) for intervention following the ANC’s improper conduct in council. Last year, we tabled a motion aimed at addressing water and electricity challenges in Waterval Boven and Belfast.
Notably, this motion was disregarded and never brought to council. Instead, the municipal manager, orally informed the DA caucus that they were aware of the matters raised in the motion and that they will be attended to.
Considering that the motion was submitted ten days prior to the council meeting as per the Municipal Systems Act (MSA), it is unacceptable that the Municipal Manager failed to ensure that the motion is included on the agenda.
The DA wishes to highlight that the Municipal Manager has a duty of obtaining written technical input from the various heads of departments of the municipality after receiving a motion.
We also acknowledge that the Municipal Manager has the right to deem some issues contained in motions beyond local governance authority. In this instance, the member of council raising the motion shall be informed and be given an opportunity to appeal to the sub-committee of the municipality.
However, none of this took place. We strongly feel that the council has the powers to deal with the subject matters contained in the motion. Residents of Belfast and Waterval Boven do not have consistent water supply, this can be attributed to problematic water reservoirs that are not pumping water at the required capacity.
The generator used at Elands River cannot produce enough power to pump water to the nearby reservoirs. With the ongoing electricity crisis, there is a need for a new generator. We have further noticed that the electricity department is battling with tools. Meanwhile, cable theft and aging infrastructure also pose a serious threat to residents of Emakhazeni.
It is seriously concerning that ratepayers are struggling to access water and electricity while the municipality does not want to take accountability. The ANC’s disregard for good governance practices is depriving residents of basic services.
We will continue fighting the ANC’s maladministration, residents of Emakhazeni have suffered for too long under the current administration and only the DA is capable of taking the municipality back to its glory.