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SIU investigation into Makana Municipality must bring accountability and end crisis-level mismanagement

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Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape fully supports today’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) raid on the Makana Local Municipality. This significant step, targeting crucial documents and electronic records, marks the beginning of the end for the entrenched corruption and mismanagement that the DA has consistently condemned as a betrayal of the public trust in Makhanda.

For years, Makana’s residents have suffered under the weight of failed governance and systemic corruption that has left essential services in a state of crisis. The impact of maladministration is visible daily but is significantly worsened by irregular and unlawful dealings in key projects such as the Makana Bulk Sewer Upgrade, groundwater development, and infrastructure electrification. These failures have severely impacted service delivery, halting critical functions and depriving residents of reliable water access and sanitation.

The impact on students, staff, and public health cannot be overstated. The ripple effect of this mismanagement is undeniable. Chronic water shortages have forced Rhodes University to rely on water tankers to sustain hygiene and health standards for students and staff, even suspending parts of its academic programme due to the lack of municipal water. Such failures highlight the municipality’s inability to fulfil basic responsibilities to its residents and institutions.

The SIU’s investigation, initiated under Proclamation 207, will address seven key tenders flagged by the Auditor General for bypassing competitive bidding processes and will also investigate possible undisclosed financial interests among municipal officials. The DA believes this investigation must deliver more than transparency. It must result in real accountability, including civil actions and criminal referrals where warranted.

Makana’s decline under unchecked mismanagement has hindered service delivery at every level, and the DA believes this investigation must deliver real reform. We urge all implicated officials and councillors to cooperate fully, as the people of Makhanda cannot endure any more neglect.

The DA will continue fighting for transparent, accountable governance in Makana and across all municipalities in the Eastern Cape. The time for real accountability is now, and we will not rest until all residents and institutions can trust their municipality to deliver essential services with integrity.

Regards

Dr Vicky Knoetze MPL
DA Leader of the Official Opposition in the Eastern Cape Legislature

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