The Pietermaritzburg High Court’s decision to halt todays sitting of the Alfred Duma Local Municipality council is noted by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The Department still maintains that it is in the best interest of the municipality and its citizens for the council meeting to be convened. It is also disturbing that the Department was not given sufficient time to prepare for the Court proceedings yesterday, as the papers were only received a few hours before.
The Municipal Structures Act and the Standing Rules of Council give the MEC the authority to call for a special council meeting when the municipality’s internal processes have failed. The Department heavily relied on both when it decided to call for this special council.
Of particular concern to the Department is the date set by the Court for the hearing of the case, which practically leaves the council in limbo for a good month. This means a prolonged period of disruption on decision making and subsequently service delivery to the people of this municipality.
While the Department respects the rule of law, it also intends to use the legal instruments available to it to challenge this judgement.
Issued by Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs