National government approves of Tshwane administration

National government has approved of the dissolution and administration of the Tshwane council, reports Rekord East.

This will see the metro legally dissolved and administrated.

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) announced their approval of the dissolution and administration of the metro on Thursday.

At a media briefing, Cogta head Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the department’s decision was informed by the metro’s failure to deliver basic needs such as water in Hammanskraal, among many others.

Cogta’s national spokesperson, Mlungisi Mtshali, added that the department found the reasons tabled by the provincial government were good enough to place the metro under administration.

In a statement the NCOP said eight of nine provinces had approved.

NCOP spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the approval came after a two-day inspection visit to the metro by NCOP committee members from different political parties.

He said the team investigated the circumstances under which the provincial government invoked the administration law.

“And from the workers union, the representatives from local government, the traditional leadership, the youth and women forums, the civic associations and the business federations,” he said.

Gauteng Cogta MEC Lebogang Maile welcomed the decision taken by NCOP and national Cogta.

“The resolution demonstrates the correctness of our decision. We are more pleased by the fact that other parties represented in the NCOP supported the resolution,” said MEC Maile.

He said the resolution “effectively” gave back power to the residents to elect a party of their choice.

The DA has rejected the decision taken by the NCOP and Cogta.

“It is clear that the outcome was politically driven and that the NCOP is caught in the web of lies the province is weaving.