KZN Treasury withdraws support for Umkhanyakude
Finance MEC Francois Rodgers
has officially pulled Treasury's support from the troubled Umkhanyakude District Municipality.
Rodgers says he has written to Mayor Siphile Mdaka to inform him of the decision, citing a lack of cooperation.
He says Treasury needs full cooperation from local officials to assist effectively, but that has not been the case in the northern KZN municipality.
The Treasury's spokesperson, Nkosikhona Duma, says the resources will now be redirected to municipalities that are willing to work with them.
"This difficult decision was taken in a bid to conserve provincial government resources and apply them where it is possible to work freely in the spirit of building a capable and ethical state.
“On various occasions, KZN Treasury teams have travelled to Umkhanyakhude the day before to ensure a full, productive day with municipal officials.
"Unfortunately, the teams have often found themselves subjected to late cancellations by municipal officials either in the evenings of planned sessions or in the mornings. This has resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure being incurred by KZN Provincial Treasury."
Meanwhile, the KZN Departmentof Cooperative Governance has raised red flags over the conduct of Umkhanyakude's leadership.
READ: uMkhanyakude speaker denies locking out Cogta MEC
The department says their behaviour is disrupting due processes and could even result in workers not being paid this month.
Spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila says management's refusal to cooperate with the appointed administrator is unlawful and undermines the Section 139 intervention in place.
"As a direct consequence of this intervention, the appointed Administrator, Mr. Bamba Ndwandwe, holds signatory authority of the municipal bank accounts. The failure of the leadership of the municipality to cooperate with the administrator, Mr. Ndwandwe, threatens the timely payment of all staff salaries.
"This lack of cooperation, coupled with the leadership of the uMkhanyakude District Municipality unlawfully barring the Administrator from entering municipal premises, is a grave breach of constitutional principles and the rule of law."
Last week, MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi had to force his way through locked gates at the municipal offices in Mkuze, after officials blocked his entry.
He was there to announce that the municipality is being placed under administration again, just months after the previous intervention was lifted in April.
Council Speaker Solomon Mkhombo has slammed the move to place the municipality under administration, calling it premature.
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