DA unhappy with new communication channels in council

The DA claims the City of Ekurhuleni has recently issued a directive preventing municipal officials from liaising with ward councillors, thus leaving councillors incapacitated to carry out their duties of giving feedback to constituency members who made enquiries about service delivery.

The party claims councillors were told MMCs or HODs would take the role of liaising between municipal officials and councillors when it comes to matters related to service delivery, a communication channel which the DA said has a lot of challenges, including delays in providing feedback to communities.

The metro, however, rejected claims that the proposed formal channels of communication between ward councillors and the metro would lead to challenges or delays in giving feedback to councillors, saying the communication is managed better and described it as a streamlined process.

The municipality said it is also malicious that this issue had been brought into the media space, given that the matter between the affected parties was settled a while back and the process is now seamless between the relevant councillors and the offices of the MMC and HOD.

According to Clr Heather Hart, DA Shadow MMC for City Planning in Ekurhuleni, it was initially issued to the Department of City Planning but is now being implemented in all the departments – affecting all councillors and service delivery.

However, information gathered by the Advertiser has in a way indicated that not all departments are obeying the said order.

Councillors interviewed by this publication said they are aware of the metro’s directive issued to the city planning department, but officials in the departments responsible for the most critical and essential services are still sharing information with them. These include departments responsible for electricity, water and community safety.

But, be that as it may, Hart asserted the capacity for ward councillors to effectively carry out service delivery across the City has been drastically curtailed as metro officials continue to refuse to engage councillors according to the City Planning HOD directive.

“The issue first came to light towards the end of 2020, when the head of Department for City Planning sent a memo instructing all city planning department officials to refrain from engaging directly with councillors. The instruction came with a ‘consequence management’ threat should any official be found to have ignored the order,” explained Hart.

She added that councillors had been given the option of liaising with the department through the office of the ANC-appointed MMC for City Planning via the MMC’s strategic advisor.

Delays
“This has resulted in a significant backlog in investigations and resolutions of illegal land use and buildings.
“Not only is this frustrating for councillors and residents alike, who usually route their complaints or queries via their local councillors, but it is also leading to a city where urban degradation is fast becoming the order of the day.

“Worryingly, the directive is now not confined to the Department of City Planning but spans across all departments in the metro.

“The DA in Ekurhuleni took exception to the directive and escalated the issue by writing a letter to the speaker of council, Patricia Khumalo, as well as the mayor, Mzwandile Masina, questioning the legal basis of the directive, which is inhibiting desperately needed service delivery in the metro.”

Call to overturn directive falls on deaf ears
“After receiving no response, an urgent motion was submitted at the November council meeting, which sought to withdraw the directive in the interest of service delivery. The speaker, however, declined to hear the motion without any explanation provided – a clear indication of how the ANC-led coalition in the CoE is avoiding accountability and stalling the need for transparent government.

“With little recourse within city structures, the DA, in January, further escalated the issue to the provincial government by petitioning the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Lebogang Maile (MPL), to overturn these directives to allow councillors to perform their legally mandated roles.

Alao Read: Contact the call centre before you call your ward councillor

“Predictably, there was no response forthcoming, forcing further escalation to the Minister of Cogta, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in April. To date, there has been no response on the way forward as her office is still investigating the matter.
“Ward councillors are beyond frustrated as they are constantly blocked from assisting residents with queries and complaints due to the refusal of city officials to take any responsibility.

“The Constitution of South Africa espouses accountability and transparency within local government. The directive issued by the ANC-appointed MMC for City Planning contradicts these values.
“The DA will continue to pursue every possible avenue to correct this travesty of justice and abuse of power by the ANC to ensure the CoE is held to account.”

Also Read: Ward councillors there to facilitate registration for food parcels

Seamless communication system
According to metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the decision was made after it was discovered that some councillors were continuously abusive and discourteous to municipal staff.

“To shield staff from the wrath, it was felt that matters related to service delivery be directed to the office of the MMC and/or HOD.
“This is a matter that was settled a while back and the said councillors were engaged. All the MMC and HOD offices now have amicable relations with the said councillors.
“Councillors submit their queries to the aforementioned offices and receive their responses, and the process is now seamless,” said Dlamini