The Provincial Department of Local Government wasted 23 years in staff sick days during the 2010/11 financial year. In response to a parliamentary question I asked in this regard we were informed that 5 484 lost days for sick leave at a cost of R4,5 million was incurred by the department.

EASTERN Cape Local Government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane is to investigate the appointment of Sundays River Valley municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo who was fired by Bitou municipality for financial mismanagement last month. Qoboshiyane said yesterday that based on the findings he would advise Sundays River on how they should deal with the matter. The DA wrote [...]

The Democratic Alliance will be leading an application for an urgent special meeting of the Gariep Municipal Council, requesting a motion and vote of no confidence in the Mayor, Municipal Manager and Chief Financial Officer. Eskom has today stated in an advertisement in the print media that it would “…continue with the planned disconnection of [...]

Six senior officials in the Senqu Municipality awarded themselves a 2011 performance bonus bonanza amounting to1.6 % of the operating budget for the towns of Barkley East and Lady Grey. Two of these officials received over R500 000 each. The percentage increase in bonuses from 2010 of R453 773 against R2,004 million in 2011 is [...]

A DEPARTMENT of human settlements portfolio committee meeting was called off yesterday, after most committee members failed to turn up to play their oversight role. When MEC Helen Sauls-august and her senior officials, including the head, Gaster Sharpley, arrived for the meeting at 8.30am, they found empty chairs, leaving them with no choice but to [...]

The controversial R1.6 million Matatiele Jazz Festival held in December 2011 was a financial disaster. I will be requesting the Portfolio Committee on Local Government in the Legislature at its next meeting to report this calamity to the Auditor-General.

The Democratic Alliance has offered legal assistance in a civil claim for a 62-year-old pensioner who was assaulted by the mayor of Tarkastad last week. The victim, Mati (Felicia) Joka, received severe chest injuries after she was attacked by the mayor, Khayalethu Nqiqhi, following an altercation on service delivery.

THE Democratic Alliance has called on the Eastern Cape government to reverse the appointment of the Sundays River Valley municipal manager. The party has written to local government and traditional affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane to stop former Bitou municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo from taking up the Sundays River Valley post from today.

The current Municipal Manager of Bitou Municipality (Plettenberg Bay) has been accepted as Municipal Manager of Sundays River Municipality despite being found guilty of financial misconduct. The incumbent, Lonwabo Ngoqo has been found guilty on four of seven financial misconduct charges brought against him in 2011. Despite a less than favourable financial situation at Sunday’s [...]