Latest news with #KwaZulu-NatalLegislature
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
COGTA Committee demands accountability from Endumeni Municipality over corruption and audit failures
The Endumeni Municipality has come under renewed scrutiny following a visit by the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Portfolio Committee. The municipality, where municipal manager Sithembiso Ntombela was controversially promoted to the Premier's office despite being named in a COGTA forensic report into alleged tender corruption, drew sharp criticism during the oversight visit. Committee Chairperson Marlaine Nair described the municipality's recent audit outcome as 'damning', referring to a disclaimer audit opinion – the worst possible – and calling for urgent turnaround strategies. 'The municipality recorded R39 million in unauthorised spending, R228 million in debtor arrears, and electricity losses of 35%, which is far above acceptable norms,' Nair said. 'Budgets remain unfunded, Eskom debt is escalating, and internal systems are weak.' While the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) previously struggled to reach quorum, Nair noted improvements during the session and said the Committee had requested follow-up reports within two weeks. 'These hearings were not simply for complaints,' she added. 'We issued clear recommendations and set out practical follow-up actions. Oversight without enforcement is meaningless – we intend to hold this municipality accountable.' Nair confirmed the Committee would probe all sections of the Section 106 investigation report, as well as reports on consequence management and internal disciplinary proceedings. She also said she would follow up on allegations that performance bonuses were paid to senior officials despite severe governance failures. 'Anyone with credible evidence of corruption or maladministration can write to the MEC and request an investigation,' she added. Responding, FC Bester of the Endumeni Residents' Association said the community had already sent letters to the Premier's office calling for urgent intervention but received no reply. 'We will only believe that action is being taken once heads roll,' Bester concluded. HAVE YOUR SAY: Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or email us at [email protected]. Add us on WhatsApp 071 277 1394.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Six MKP members in KZN defend their vote against the Division of Revenue Bill
The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature building in Pietermaritzburg. Image: Shan Pillay One of the six Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) members of KwaZulu-Natal legislature who voted against the Division of Revenue Bill has defended their decision and accused the party MPLs who supported it as out of line. In an unprecedented move, six party MPLs broke ranks with the caucus and voted against the bill while 31 other members supported during the chamber sitting last week, prompting calls for action against the 'rebelling' MPLs. The member who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday denied going against the party's position, saying it was him and other five members who kept the long-standing position and voted against the Bill. He stated that firstly, the new chief whip never called a caucus meeting before voting and there was no new instruction for members to vote in a particular way therefore the six of them followed a long-standing position that the MKP will never support anything that comes from the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) since the party believes the elections were rigged. 'We hear people saying we undermined the party's instruction and we wonder which one because we never received any instruction to vote for this bill nor were we called to a caucus meeting before voting. In the absence of any new instruction, we decided to follow the long-standing position we were given when the government was constituted last year that our party will not support any thing that would come with the GPU since we were robbed of an opportunity that was given to us by the voters to be the government of the province,' said the member. Furthermore, the member said to prove that they were not wrong, the party has not charged them after explaining their side to the provincial leadership under convener Willies Mchunu. The member further said that in their engagement with Mchunu it "became clear that it was an oversight from those who supported the Bill". However, the party chief whip Bonginkosi Mngadi disputed the member's version that there was no meeting or mandate to support the Bill. He stated that he called a caucus meeting where he informed the members of the position and even articulated the position when he spoke for the party before voting for the Bill. 'I am chief whip of the party in the legislature and spoke in the chamber that the party will support the Bill since it was talking about transparency and accountability so I was speaking on behalf of the party,' said Mngadi. He said he would not want to discuss the matter further since it was reported to the provincial leadership. Attempts to get Willies Mchunu were unsuccessful. There was also confusion when the same Bill was voted in parliament on Wednesday where the MKP chief whip Colleen Makhubekele voted yes for the bill only to change her vote later, arguing that she thought the vote was about the Ad hoc committee on allegations of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's interference in police operations which we were reported by KwaZulu-Natal provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. [email protected]
IOL News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Transforming KZN's approach to flood disasters for lasting change
The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in Pietermaritzburg Image: Shan Pillay KwaZulu-Natal Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) called for permanent solutions to address flooding and displaced families on Thursday. The MPLs were debating on a report tabled in March by Premier Thami Ntuli on communities in distress due to the province being engulfed by floods. There were also concerns about the KZN Department of Transport and Human Resources' purchase of the Montclair Lodge from Transnet for R33 million to house flood victims as one of their interventions. Blessed Gwala, IFP chief whip, said the refurbishment of the Montclair Lodge should be expedited to meet the December deadline. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He also called on traditional leaders to exercise greater responsibility when allocating land near riverbeds or flood-prone areas. According to him, municipalities should enforce existing by-laws to prevent high-risk developments. Gwala stated he was awaiting an update on the parcels of land earmarked for housing and emphasised that investments must be made in drainage infrastructure, as flood damage diverts crucial funds to disaster response. Hlengiwe Mavimbela, ANC MPL, warned that every cent allocated must go towards flood recovery and not for electioneering or inflated contracts. According to Wiseman Mkhize of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, inadequate drainage system upkeep and water catchment area management were the main causes of the floods. Marlaine Nair, MPL and DA KZN spokesperson on CoGTA, said the provincial government should shift from reacting to disasters to being prepared for them. 'Floods continue to devastate the same vulnerable communities in KZN. This is no longer simply a climate issue – it is a governance failure, more precisely at the local government level. Poor planning, underfunded infrastructure, and sluggish service delivery have turned natural hazards into human disasters,' Nair said. She said that one of KZN's biggest risks lies with its almost 1,000 informal settlements, often located on riverbanks, flood plains, or over pipelines. 'These are the result of housing backlogs and people seeking opportunity in the city, only to end up renting from shack-lords on dangerous land. Existing settlements must be made safer through proper upgrades.' Nair added that the municipalities must urgently assess the state of this infrastructure, clear maintenance backlogs, and allocate dedicated funding for ongoing repairs and upgrades. Hannah Lidgett, MPL DA, stated that the sustainability and strategic direction of disaster management systems must be interrogated. 'If our approach continues to be reactive rather than anticipatory, we risk repeating this cycle. Why are stormwater systems absent in flood-prone areas? We need planning and forward-thinking governance. We have a disaster strategy rooted in response rather than in resilience,' Lidgett said. Mongezi Twala, EFF MPL, said taxpayers' money was wasted by renting hotels for flood victims. He said people continue to live in poor and hazardous conditions. 'A lot of money is being released for short-term repairs and interventions, with R185 million spent on temporary accommodations, but there are no plans to build houses.' Themba Mabaso, an MKP MPL, stated that poor urban planning and inadequate waste management, and environmental degradation have worsened the impact and need to be addressed. Siboniso Duma, MEC for Human Settlements, said 1,200 families were living in temporary accommodations and that his department is accelerating the construction of houses for the flood victims. 'We are dealing with these issues daily,' he said. Premier Ntuli stated that MPLs had come forth with good solutions, adding that approximately 108 houses will be built in Cornubia as a permanent solution. 'We faced challenges with certain land parcels where residents were opposed to low-cost housing being built,' he said.
IOL News
17-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Urgent financial recovery needed for Endumeni Municipality amid audit concerns
The Endumeni Local Municipality briefed the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Portfolio Committee on the key challenges and potential implications of financial management. Image: Facebook/Endumeni Local Municipality The Endumeni Local Municipality's financial status is dire, with insufficient cash flow to sustain its operations, hindering sustainable service delivery. The municipality briefed the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Portfolio (COGTA) Committee on the key challenges and potential implications of financial management. The municipality received a disclaimer audit opinion due to a lack of supporting documentation to support the financial information presented on their annual statements. The COGTA committee held the hearing to address concerns about financial mismanagement, project delays, and lack of accountability raised by the Auditor General (AG). Marlaine Nair, the KZN COGTA Portfolio Committee chairperson, said they held meetings with the worst-performing municipalities, which received adverse audits, disclaimer audits, and qualified audit reports from the Auditor General in the last financial year. Nair said this is an important part of their work in ensuring financial accountability, good governance, and service delivery. The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) 2023-2024 Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) audit outcomes for the financial year ended 30 June 2024, stated that minimal progress has been made to address prior year findings, with only four out of 26 previously reported findings successfully resolved. The AGSA stated that the lack of appropriate oversight and monitoring by leadership over the control environment resulted in non-compliances with legislation with the municipality having repeated non-compliance findings. The AGSA also found that there were weaknesses in procurement and contract management and also lack of accountability and consequences. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Irregular expenditure was reported at R21 million while unauthorised expenditure (UIF&W) incurred R70 million. The AGSA recommended: officials should be held accountable for the non-implementation of the audit action plan. mandating investigations into all instances of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful (UIF&W) expenditure, and taking appropriate disciplinary or legal action based on the outcomes. Ensure that management implements a financial recovery plan to restore financial health, focusing on revenue enhancement, expenditure controls, and cash flow management. Strengthen oversight by ensuring that the budget reviewed and approved is credible and funded- supported by realistic revenue projections and cash flow forecasts. The municipality also stated in its report to the committee that the total debt for the municipality is approximately R228 million. The highest debt is owed by households with debt amounting to R157 million. The municipality stated that commercial debt is R51 million while organs of state owe R20 million. The municipality stated that the highest debt is owed by Provincial Works, which COGTA has facilitated an engagement with to get this debt paid. The municipality reported that quarterly government debt engagements are held to resolve all the disputes between government departments and municipalities. Nair described the meeting as a resounding success, adding that members of the legislature were able to fully understand what drove long-standing problems and what was being done to resolve them. 'The legislators were also able to recommend practical solutions and clear follow-up steps for this committee and for the provincial government,' she said. The municipality falls within the Umzinyathi District Municipality and covers towns such as Glencoe and Dundee.
