The department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is concerned with the developments in the Amajuba District Municipality, which currently does not have a Municipal Manager and a Chief Financial Officer in breach of the Municipal Systems Act.
This follows the failure of the council to extend the Acting Municipal Managers appointment or appoint a new one during the council sitting that took place on 15 November 2022.
Senior officials from the department have made several attempts to guide the municipality and to get it to correct this breach of the law which threatens its functionality.
The District is tasked with the provision of critical services such as water and sanitation to thousands of households.
The failure of the Council to appoint an Accounting Officer places at risk the ability of the municipality to provide services to communities.
The municipality has also failed to appoint an Acting CFO following the suspension of its current CFO by the Council. The department is aware of the unlawful and invalid decision taken on 17 November by certain office bearers in the municipality to recall the suspended CFO.
This decision is invalid since only a council has the power to uplift a suspension.
The department calls upon the councillors within the municipality to act in line with their oath of office by ensuring that the business of the council is conducted in a manner that is above board that will not bring the institution into disrepute.
While the department understands that this municipality is governed through a coalition, the stability of the institution should be of utmost importance in the minds of all political parties.
The department will not hesitate to pursue more stringent measures should the council fail once more to correct its course of action.
Issued by MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sihle Zikalala.
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