Durban - Msunduzi Municipality’s failure to implement recommendations of two forensic investigations in which findings were made against some of its officials, have prompted calls for the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Department to act against them.
This follows revelations at yesterday’s Cogta portfolio committee in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature that Msunduzi, along with the uMgungundlovu District Municipality, had failed to implement most of the recommendations from forensic investigations conducted by the department, which had revealed corruption and had implicated some municipal officials.
Briefing committee members, the Cogta Head of Department (HOD) Thando Tubane indicated that he had a meeting with Msunduzi municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba, where the city boss had admitted to difficulties in implementing the recommendations.
“He (Mapholoba) conceded that there was little appetite to implement the recommendations of the report, but committed to addressing the matter,” said Tubane.
Committee members questioned why the city manager had been unable to implement the decisions when he was the highest-ranking official in the municipality.
“His responsibility is to advise the council, and therefore he must not come back to complain about being unable to implement what the report calls for,” said committee member Phumlile Zulu.
Committee members further argued that the failure to act on recommendations amounted to disrespect for both the municipality and the portfolio committee.
“How do you have 20 recommendations in the report, but only act on four of them? Something drastic needs to be done here, and this falls straight into your lap, HOD,” said committee chairperson Zinhle Cele.
She told the HOD to write a strongly-worded letter to the municipality’s leadership demanding answers within 14 days.
“You must use your legal division to craft a letter to the municipality,” Cele said.
She expressed fears that the failure to implement the recommendations of the investigations may be raised by the auditor-general.
Msunduzi Municipality is currently under administration following intervention by the provincial government in 2019.
Recently, it also emerged that the municipality was battling financially with cash in hand that would not be able to sustain it for a month, as its cash coverage ratio for March was 0.80 months, which is below the norm of 1 to 3 months.
It was agreed in the meeting that the committee would schedule a joint meeting with the national committee to discuss matters affecting KZN municipalities, many of which are deemed to be in crisis.