The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) is in support of the decision to place the eThekwini Municipality under administration.
The DCCI said that the decision is in line with Section of 139 of the Constitution of South Africa which makes provision for a municipality to be put under administration.
There has been a lot of economic strain on the eThekwini as it tries to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 July unrest and the April/May 2022 floods.
Last week, new Co-operative Governance MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi placed the City under administration, introduced Dr Mike Sutcliffe and Dr Cassius Lubisi as the two Governance Experts appointed by Cogta under section 154 to lead the intervention.
The eThekwini business community has struggled due to poor service delivery from the municipality administration.
The DCCI said that due to poor service delivery, some businesses have had to close while others are working on minimal or skeletal staff.
Businesses have had to struggle with issues like water shortages, electricity instability, safety and security, clean conducive environment, and waste removal not being available nor guaranteed.
This is despite them paying for these services through levies.
The DCCI said that the decision to put the city of eThekwini under administration will give the city an opportunity to restore its operations and return to its original state.
To rebuild the municipality, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) which is focused on infrastructure rebuild, safety and security, retaining and attracting investment and revitalising the tourism sector.
The issue of corruption continues to impact the city’s reputation negatively. The business chamber said that they believe a plan of action is essential and punitive consequences are key to fighting corruption.
The city’s Supply Chain Management and internal processes need to be reviewed so corrupt officials are dealt with and unnecessary red tape is eliminated.
The DCCI has also called for more accountability and consequence management through key performance management plan.
“Starting from executive management level to the bottom administrative level, this will ensure that we keep a track on staff that are performing and those that are not,” DCCI said.
The DCCI said there was a tough road ahead, with certain priorities needed:
1. The continuation of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group.
2. Infrastructure, water, sanitation and the distribution of electricity.
3. Safety and security across KwaZulu-Natal.
4. Rebuild and revitalise the tourism sector.
5. Work with private sector to build business confidence and improve the cost and ease of doing business.
IOL Business