The Democratic Alliance welcomes the announcement that the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality has finally been placed under national administration.
The move is a scathing indictment on the Eastern Cape Executive and the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) that has failed to bring about the necessary changes since placing the municipality under administration in 2018.
The DA has repeatedly highlighted the challenges faced by this municipality, which two provincial administrators failed to rectify. Residents have had to deal with collapsing service delivery and political instability while debt to creditors such as Eskom has soared.
The ANC-led provincial government has failed its constitutional mandate, repeatedly doing too little, too late. The provincial executive chooses to turn a blind eye when it comes to distressed municipalities. They are far too concerned about protecting failed political deployees than servicing the people of this province.
Enoch Mgijima is just the tip of the iceberg. What about the Amathole District Municipality and the 13 other local municipalities in the Eastern Cape in severe financial distress and on the verge of total collapse.
Hopefully, national government will succeed where the provincial government has failed. The gloves must come off, and the tough decisions must be made.
We can no longer afford any holy cows if we want to build a capable state that delivers opportunity for all.
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