‘Communities suffer while municipalities are not held accountable'
However, according to court documents an application to the High Court for leave to appeal was filed this week.
This follows Judge J.P. Daffue's ruling in favour of AfriForum on Friday, finding the Ngwathe Municipality not fulfilling its constitutional, legislative and regulatory obligations towards residents of Parys, Vredefort, Koppies, Heilbron and Edenville.
Daffue ordered as part of a structural interdict that the municipal council must be dissolved and the Free State provincial government must intervene in the municipality's affairs.
Speaking on the court ruling earlier this week, Dumisane Magagula, secretary of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), slammed Ngwathe's executive mayor, councillor Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni's defence that her administration inherited a mess, saying that although a legacy issue, it is the successor's entitlement.
Magagula was clear that the former leadership cannot be blamed, while given the power and authority to bring change.
He explained the aim of a Section 139 ruling as mainly to stabilise a municipality.
He mentioned Ngwathe's failure to provide water and sanitation, and said the municipality had been mugged with maladministration and financial chaos, ending up in an over-estimated budget tabled at the State of the Municipality Address.
Magagula said it is unfortunate that AfriForum ended up getting the ruling, while the provincial government should have acted earlier. 'Communities suffer while municipalities are not held accountable,' he added.
He specifically referred to the budget tabled by Ngwathe, criticising councillors agreeing on a matter, even though it does not make sense and does not benefit the community.
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