The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), one of KwaDukuza municipality’s (KDM) most important portfolios, is still mired in uncertainty.
More than three months after council descended into chaos over a disputed vote result on March 31, there is still no confirmation on the next step.
MPAC is crucial to the functioning and oversight of a municipality, given it is the first port of call for investigations into financial issues identified by council.
It is meant to sit monthly, where members should scrutinise items such as irregular expenditure and expiring contracts that have not been properly dealt with by departments.
The appointment process of the committee chairperson was initially delayed by the majority African National Congress (ANC) who had yet to nominate a chairperson.
When voting was finally allowed, the opposition had a majority of 28 to 27, which should have allowed them to choose a chairperson of their own.
Municipal manager, Nhlanhla Mdakane, said he thought a vote could only pass when a majority of council (30 or more) voted for or against an issue.
This despite allowing items to pass with fewer than 30 votes before.
After opposition ire, it was decided that guidance was needed from the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to move forward.
A second vote was allowed at the following general council meeting on May 26, despite no formal response from Cogta.
The majority coalition of the ANC, African Transformation Movement (ATM) and African Independent Congress (AIC) voted to appoint ATM’s Thulile Mkhize to the position.
This prompted an opposition walkout and threats of a vote of no confidence in the municipal leaders.
At the most recent council meeting on June 30, Mdakane said he had still received no response from Cogta, despite other items on the council agenda carrying Cogta communications.
This was again raised by opposition councillors as a pressing issue after the question had been raised in previous meetings at the KDM council Lekgotla.
“I do not understand how this has not been addressed yet. Mr Mdakane, you need to be more proactive because we cannot keep letting this go on,” said ActionSA councillor, Sipho Zungu.
The threats of a no confidence vote have come to pass, with ActionSA officially adding it to the council agenda for July 28.
It will target mayor Lindile Nhaca, speaker Dolly Govender, deputy-mayor Thulani Ntuli and chief whip Humphrey Mbatha.
In part, a statement from ActionSA on the vote reads, “The mayor has proven to want to continue with the legacy of failed service delivery and corruption, and the speaker has demonstrated a willingness to protect the ANC rather than council.”
Whether a Cogta representative will be present for that vote remains to be seen.
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