Resident pens letter to speaker on behalf of Kanana residents about their councillor
Ward 80 resident Anthony Muller has written a letter to Speaker of Council Margaret Arnolds regarding the behaviour of Ward 80 councillor Melody Hlatswayo, asking for an immediate investigation into her conduct.
Concerned Ward 80 resident Anthony Muller, on behalf of Kanana residents in Rabie Ridge and ward committee members, has written to the city’s Council Speaker, Margaret Arnolds.
Muller said he wrote to the speaker’s office to formally raise complaints regarding the conduct and continued interference by councillor Melody Hlatswayo in community development projects, and the functioning of the elected ward committee members.
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He said their concerns include a lack of regular community engagement, undermining the ward committee, as well as undue interference in the appointment of a community liaison Officer (CLO) and safety, health, and environment representative. “We believe this conduct violates the principles outlined in the code of conduct for councillors, and other regulatory frameworks that support transparency, accountability, and participatory governance.”
In the letter, seen by the paper, Muller pleaded with the speaker for the following actions:
- That the speaker’s office urgently investigates these matters,
- That clear guidelines be issued to the councillor regarding her role and limitations during project implementation, and
- That steps be taken to restore the authority and proper functioning of the ward committee, especially in areas related to economic development.
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“We strongly believe this councillor is abusing her powers,” said the letter, “because she never acts so promptly with other issues in the community, only when it comes to projects.
“We trust in your office’s commitment to ethical governance and request your prompt attention to this matter to restore trust between the community and its elected representatives.”
Hlatshwayo previously said she interfered with the project because she was not informed about the appointments, either by the contractor or the Ward Committee Members for Economic Development.
Arnolds was contacted by the paper seeking a telephonic interview, however, her spokesperson, Vusi Gumbi, said Arnolds needed to familiarise herself with the content of the letter, and engage the councillor, before taking the telephone interview with the paper.
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