The current state of disaster in Kwazulu-Natal has prompted the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape to assess the disaster readiness of the province, specifically in terms of the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the municipal disaster management centres. In response to written questions by the Democratic Alliance, shocking revelations have been made by the MEC of COGTA, Xolile Nqatha. Only 41% of the fire engine fleet in the province …
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No intervention, despite broke Amahlati Municipality blowing insurance pay-outs on salaries
May 5th, 2022
Provincial Government will not intervene in the affairs of the cash-strapped Amahlati Local Municipality, despite the municipality blowing R41 million in insurance pay-outs, meant to replace destroyed municipal infrastructure, on salaries. The municipality is in dire financial distress and is on the brink of collapse, having once again run out of money to the extent that it will not be able to pay salaries for May or June. This is …
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The Department of Water and Sanitation has revealed that not one of the 14 Water Service Authorities (WSA) in the Eastern Cape qualified for green drop certification. The latest Green Grop report revealed that the overall provincial risk ratio has regressed from 66.7% (medium risk) in 2013 to 72.3% (high risk) in 2021. The risk assessment is based on an audit of the 14 WSA delivering wastewater services through a …
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Nearly half of the Eastern Cape’s drinking water is at risk, with the Department of Water and Sanitation saying some systems are so severely compromised they have been flagged as critical risks, where water safety for consumers cannot be guaranteed. This is according to the latest Blue Drop report, the first of its kind to be released in nearly a decade. The report paints a devastatingly bleak picture of failing …
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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 …
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Incomplete infrastructure project worsening water woes for EC town
March 29th, 2022
An incomplete infrastructure project related to water and sanitation, millions wasted on poor performing contractors and a site that has been left abandoned, are just some of the issues discovered when the Democratic Alliance conducted oversight on infrastructure projects in the OR Tambo District Municipality. As part of the DA’s “Broken Municipalities, Broken Province” initiative, I recently conducted an oversight inspection at the incomplete Ntsonyeni Off-Chanel Storage Dam, outside Port …
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Opening of Keiskammahoek Fire Station a sham
March 25th, 2022
At the beginning of the month, the Mayor of the Amahlati Local Municipality, Onke Mgunculu, officially opened the Keiskammahoek Fire Station to celebrate his first 100 days in office. A recent oversight inspection of the new facility by myself and DA Constituency Leader, Nomvano Zibonda, revealed that the Mayor’s claims are a sham. On inspecting the new station, we found an empty building with no furniture, no staff, flooded floors, …
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COGTA finally takes action against irregular appointments in IYLM
March 23rd, 2022 The MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Xolile Nqatha, has finally indicated that his department will be intervening in the irregular appointments of the Chief Financial Officer and Municipal Manager of the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality. The matter of the irregular appointment of Khathustshelo Lucky Mulaudzi as the Chief Financial Officer by the acting Speaker, Sibongile Victor Masawe, during a council meeting beset with issues, was brought to MEC …
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Thousands take to street to protest Inxuba Yethemba Municipality’s Mafia-Style Governance
February 21st, 2022
The current situation in Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality has become extremely volatile. It appears that the municipality has gone rogue, and residents have taken to the street to protest. It appears that the ANC has hijacked the municipal council, ignoring municipal legislation, council procedures, rules, and processes. If there is no urgent intervention by the Province, it is feared that the situation will escalate and have dire consequences, not only …
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Tyres burn over water shortages in Somerset East
January 27th, 2022
Yesterday residents of Somerset East, in the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM), took to the streets in frustration as they have been without water for up to 23 days in December and no water for up to 15 days in January! Somerset East residents have been without their basic Constitutional human right of access to water for 38 days. There is no drought in the area, the dams are overflowing, …
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