DA files Motion of No Confidence against Govan Mbeki Executive Mayor, over escalating water crisis

Issued by Cllr Desire Erasmus – Caucus Leader: DA Govan Mbeki Local Municipality
13 Dec 2024 in Press Releases

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (GMLM) has submitted a Motion of No Confidence against the Executive Mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, citing a series of failures in leadership that have negatively impacted residents.

The motion is a direct response to the Executive Mayor’s failure to respond to six (6) sets of questions submitted by the DA, which addressed critical issues related to service delivery, financial management, and transparency. The lack of engagement and failure to provide answers to these questions is a direct violation of municipal procedures and reflects a serious disregard for the concerns of GMLM residents.

One of the most significant sets of questions was submitted following the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting, where over 300 residents gathered to discuss the ongoing water crisis. Despite the community’s urgent request for engagement on this issue, the Executive Mayor has failed to provide a response or take meaningful action to address the crisis. This is a clear indication of the mayor’s unwillingness to listen to the needs of the community.

The DA also highlighted the water crisis that continues to affect thousands of residents, businesses, and stakeholders in GMLM. The ongoing throttling of water supply by Rand Water, due to the municipality’s non-payment of debts, has left many areas without access to reliable water. Despite this, the Executive Mayor has failed to take responsibility for the non-payment and has not presented a concrete plan to resolve the situation.

The people of GMLM are currently facing a devastating water crisis, and the Executive Mayor has failed to take any meaningful action to address it. The mayor has also ignored the concerns of over 300 residents who attended the IDP meeting specifically to discuss the water issue. This ongoing failure to engage, coupled with the non-payment to Rand Water, is simply unacceptable. The residents of GMLM deserve leadership that is accountable, transparent, and actively working to resolve these critical issues.

The DA firmly believes that the Executive Mayor’s failure to address the water crisis, as well as his failure to respond to legitimate questions from the opposition and the public, has eroded trust and confidence in his ability to lead effectively; hence the DA is calling for the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality Council to support the motion and take immediate action to remove the mayor from office.

The Motion of No Confidence will be debated and voted on at the next scheduled Council meeting.