The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC, Rev. Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has today welcomed the arrests of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Speaker of Nongoma Local Municipality on charges of fraud and corruption.
These arrests, he said, send a strong message that corruption will not be tolerated and demonstrate the government’s commitment to rooting out corruption and restoring accountability within municipalities.
The MEC made this remarks during a meeting held at the council chamber of the Nongoma Local Municipality, where the MEC met with all councillors and introduced Mr. Mpumelelo Bongani Mnguni as the new Acting Municipal Manager.
This appointment follows a recent High Court judgment that set aside the previous appointments of the Acting Municipal Manager and Acting! Chief Financial Officer.
The court judgment highlighted the significant financial strain on the municipality due to frivolous legal battles.
To address this issue and ensure effective service delivery, the MEC has appointed Mr. Mnguni, a seasoned local government professional, to lead the municipality. However, the municipality faces significant financial challenges, with employee costs exceeding 50% of the budget, an overdraft, and exhausted project grants.
The Acting Municipal Manager has been tasked with stabilising the financial situation and ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.
The MEC for Cogta remains committed to supporting all municipalities in the province and will continue to take decisive action to uphold the law and ensure that municipalities deliver on their mandate.
Issued by:
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs