Process of establishing new EC ward boundaries fatally flawed
December 2nd, 2020
Critical public engagements over the changing of ward boundaries in the Eastern Cape, known as delimitation, have not taken place, which means the submissions made by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) are fatally flawed and bring the entire process into question. While the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the ability of institutions such as the MDB to carry out the usual face to face public participation processes, …
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Changing municipal borders is not the answer
November 19th, 2020 The MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Xolile Nqatha, has finally admitted that the ANC’s policy of amalgamating smaller municipalities across the Eastern Cape into larger local entities has failed. Changing the municipal borders is not the answer, its like reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. These municipalities are going down and unless a sustainable plan is put in place, they will collapse. Last week MEC Nqatha is …
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Urgent intervention needed in Dr Beyers Naude following bulk electricity disruptions
October 23rd, 2020 Residents in the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality are furious and feel that they have been thrown to the wolves, as they are yet again being punished for the failures of their uncaring municipality. Effective from today Willowmore, Steytlerville and Jansenville are currently without electricity, with Eskom cutting the power for eight and a half hours a day, because the Municipality has failed to honour the last repayment plan agreed …
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COGTA MEC must take decisive steps against OR Tambo District Municipality
September 15th, 2020 The OR Tambo District Municipality is failing to provide the most basic services to its people, and highlights how the ANC instilled culture of lack of accountability is collapsing government services across the province. The primary objective of this district municipality should be to implement water and sanitation services projects, address backlogs and improve the life of its citizens. Instead it is robbing the people of their basic human rights …
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Where is the R20 million paid for unlawful desalinisation plant?
August 20th, 2020 More than a month after the Grahamstown High Court set aside the controversial and unlawful tender awarded to Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) for the Port Alfred Desalination Plant, and instructed QFS to repay the R20 million already illegally paid out, there is still no money in the municipality’s coffers. I will fight hard to roll back the frontiers of corruption in the Eastern Cape and ensure that residents can live …
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DA’s innovative Plastic Roads project nominated in 2020 Eco-Logic Awards
August 17th, 2020
The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape has secured a place in the finals in two categories of the 2020 Eco-Logic Awards for its innovative Plastic Roads project in Jeffreys Bay, in the DA-run Kouga Municipality. The project has been shortlisted in the Innovation and Eco-Build award categories of the annual event, widely recognised as South Africa’s most glamorous green eco-calendar event, hosted by Enviropaedia. The Eco-Logic Awards, which has …
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Another report highlights collapsing Eastern Cape Local Government
August 13th, 2020
The true horror story of the collapse of local government in the Eastern Cape has been brought home by the latest Municipal Financial Sustainability Index (MFSI) report by Ratings Afrika. The report shows that the Amahlati municipality is one of the worst performing municipalities in the country. This report follows the Auditor Generals report last month, which showed that 13 Eastern Cape municipalities reports have worsened compared to the previous …
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The Special Investigation Unit must be tasked with investigating the controversial and unlawful tender awarded to Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) for the Port Alfred Desalination Plant. The Grahamstown High Court has set aside the tender, saying that the conduct on the part of the Ndlambe Local Municipality was beset with problems and irregularities and ran afoul of proper procurement procedure requirements. I have now written to Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar …
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Eastern Cape becoming the epicentre of Covid-19 Corruption
July 6th, 2020 The Eastern Cape is fighting for its survival, battling the deadly Covid-19 outbreak on the one hand, and the cancerous spread of corruption on the other. Not only is the province one of the epicentres for the Covid-19 outbreak, it is fast becoming the epicentre of Covid19 corruption. While government pleads for residents to wash their hands in the fight against the disease, it has now come to light that …
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AG Report casts spotlight on EC local government failings
July 2nd, 2020 Auditor-General (AG) Kimi Makwetu’s latest report on the Audit Outcomes for Local Government is the clearest message yet that Local Government in the Eastern Cape is collapsing. Not only have 13 municipalities reports worsened compared to the previous year, only one municipality in the entire province received a clean audit! These poor audit outcomes are as a result of the continuing looting of municipalities, corruption and maladministration, as well as …
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