The headline article ‘ANC factions at war again’ (DD, April 14) refers.
It is worrying that the MEC for Local Government is not invoking section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act regarding the fiasco with this council.
As reported, a council meeting could not sit due to ANC councillors at this Lusikisiki council taunting and insulting each other at the meeting and violating the rules of order.
While one appreciates the efforts of the MEC to try and sort out this mess over the last weeks and get the council to sit he should have invoked section 106 of the Systems Act.
This section states in summary that if an MEC has reason to believe that a municipality in a province is not fulfilling a statutory obligation binding on that municipality he must ask the Municipal Manager to supply requested information or delegate person/s to investigate the matter.
As a council meeting is a statutory obligation this needs to be investigated as to why chaos ensued.
It is possible too that section 139 of the Constitution could apply here where the provincial administration can intervene when an executive obligation in terms of legislation is not carried out.
Time and again we citizens hear of municipal maladministration and ANC infighting.
Governance is about service delivery and the people of Ingquza deserve better.
I have written to the MEC asking him why he has not invoked the above legislation to sort out this mess and take appropriate action against the instigators in this regard.
As part of the DA’s Agenda for Accountability this inaction must be exposed and eliminated.
Unless we start electing councillors who are fit for purpose, committed to serving people without favour, this province will continue to slide deeper in the abyss of chaos and non- delivery of basic services on which more than half the population depends.