vicky knoetze

Dear MyPE The Auditor General’s Report was especially damning for municipalities in the Eastern Cape – it showcases the deteriorating state of local government in the province – if you ever wondered what rock-bottom looks like – this is it! 83% of municipalities are facing significant cash-flow restraints. 38% of municipalities’ expenses exceed their revenue. 24 municipalities are unable to pay their creditors. Only 1 municipality received a clean audit. 15 municipalities … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape Municipalities hit rock-bottom

Dear MyPE The Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality (DBNLM) is descending into financial chaos, with residents facing the very real possibility of being overcharged for rates and services, that may then have to be voided by the municipality, as the budget processes have been severely flawed. The municipality is of the opinion that the budget has been passed, but nothing could be further from the truth! Not only will this have dire consequences for the municipality, in terms of legitimate … [Read more...] about Municipal financial woes deepen with illegally ‘passed’ budget

Dear MyPE The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has lost over R1-billion in revenue from electricity theft and technical losses over the last three years, up to and including February 2020. This was revealed in a response to a parliamentary question by the MEC of COGTA, Xolile Nqatha. The Democratic Alliance is calling on Nelson Mandela Bay to put a plan in place to eradicate illegal connections, and improve maintenance, to prevent further revenue losses. The only way to do this is by … [Read more...] about Nelson Mandela Bay has lost over R1-billion in electricity revenue over the past three years

Dear MyPE The race-based policy for office leases, announced by the MEC of Public Works, Babalo Madikizela, during the tabling of his department’s budget in the EC legislature, is unconstitutional and possibly nothing more than a smokescreen to enrich politically connected individuals. The Democratic Alliance agrees that the province should give preference to Eastern Cape owned, managed and controlled landlords, in order to benefit the economy of the province. The DA also supports the … [Read more...] about Race-based leasing policy possible smokescreen for tenders to the politically connected

Dear MyPE A watershed ruling to have the Makana Municipality dissolved, handed down in January this year, has come back into effect after Judge Igna Stretch dismissed the application by the Provincial Government and the Municipality for leave to appeal the ruling, with costs. In the judgement handed down late yesterday afternoon, Judge Stretch found that there were no reasonable prospects that the appeal would succeed. This ruling means the original order to dissolve the council, which … [Read more...] about Makana ruling back in force, paves way for municipalities abandoned by government

Dear MyPE A recent oversight visit to the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality has revealed that critical water infrastructure projects, started more than two years ago, have been abandoned, half built, with the sites left hazardous and unsafe for surrounding communities. Contractors for these debacles should be blacklisted, and the province must sue them for non-performance. We need to start enforcing accountability! In response to a parliamentary question regarding the reservoirs, MEC … [Read more...] about Critical multi-million water infrastructure project abandoned during crippling drought

Amalgamation not the answer Dear MyPE This week, the MEC of COGTA, Xolile Nqatha, confirmed that he had approached national government for funds to bailout 14 unsustainable, bankrupt Eastern Cape municipalities. He also mentioned that provincial government was considering amalgamating these failing municipalities with more successful institutions. Amalgamating municipalities is simply a smokescreen, instead of taking decisive action, the MEC is kicking the can down the road. It is … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape municipalities in free fall

DA calls for stringent monitoring of grant funding in EC municipalities Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance is calling for far more stringent monitoring and guidance measures to be put in place relating to grant funding provided to Eastern Cape municipalities. In response to a DA parliamentary question, the MEC for COGTA, Xolile Nqatha, revealed extensive underspending of grants by Eastern Cape Municipalities. This is a simply unacceptable, as these funds are specifically granted to … [Read more...] about It is only a Better Life For All when…

Dear MyPE As of the 19th of November, the debt owed to Eskom by Eastern Cape municipalities surpassed the R1-billion mark. This growing debt places Eastern Cape municipalities under significant risk of having their power disconnected. In a response to questions for oral reply in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature today (Wednesday 4 December 2019, the MEC of COGTA, Xolile Nqatha, revealed that, as of 19 November, the collective debt of Eastern Cape municipalities to Eskom was standing … [Read more...] about EC Municipalities debt to Eskom surpasses the Billion-rand mark

Dear MyPE Businesses and residents in the Raymond Mhlaba, Amahlathi and Sundays River Local Municipalities are facing the reality of not having electricity, even though they have paid for the service, because their municipalities have failed to pay Eskom. Eskom has recently published notices for planned power disruptions that will cripple the already failing Eastern Cape economy. Businesses will be forced to close their doors and thousands of jobs stand to be lost. In the notices, … [Read more...] about Looming electricity disruptions will cripple Eastern Cape economy

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance has today moved a motion at the special sitting of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature (Taking the Legislature to the People) in Komani, that the Enoch Mgijima Municipality be dissolved in terms of section 139 (1)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Democratic Alliance believes that the Municipality has failed to meet its executive obligations in terms of the Constitution and legislation in that amongst other factors; … [Read more...] about Calls for Enoch Mgijima municipality to be dissolved

Dear MyPE The first eco-friendly road in South Africa, that incorporates waste plastic that would otherwise have gone to landfill or ended up in our oceans, has been completed in Jeffreys Bay, in the DA –led municipality of Kouga. This amazing accomplishment comes two years after a motion by the Democratic Alliance to consider the implementation of a pilot project – to test the feasibility and practicability of building roads by incorporating waste plastic into the mix – was rejected by … [Read more...] about Phase one of first eco-friendly road in South Africa completed

Dear MyPE The R53-million Somerset East Airfield that was opened in January 2016, has now become nothing more than grazing field for stray cattle due to the Blue Crane Route Local Municipality’s failure to act. The airfield, with its 1.2km long runway, was built by the Cacadu Development Agency in collaboration with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. It was supposed to be the gateway for transportation of domestic produce and tourism to the Zuurberg Heritage Corridor, … [Read more...] about From R53 Million Airfield to cattle grazing field in 3 years

Dear MyPE Service delivery in Eastern Cape municipalities is buckling under the weight of financial mismanagement and the lack of support by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA). Maladministration, irregular and wasteful expenditure, corruption and factionalism are also rampant, and this contributes to the general implosion of service delivery in our municipalities. The plight of Eastern Cape municipalities was highlighted in terms of the 2018/19 … [Read more...] about Service delivery failing in EC municipalities

Dear MyPE Less than a month after having violated the Municipal Structures Act by purporting to have passed the municipal budget with far less than a majority of the vote, and violating the Municipal Finance Management Act by irregularly appointing a permanent Chief Financial Officer, the rogue Sunday’s River Valley Municipality (SRVM) has struck again. SRVM seems to be determined to achieve a hat trick in maladministration, as they have proceeded to adopt an organogram without the … [Read more...] about Rogue Sunday’s River Valley Municipality goes for a Hat trick in Maladministration