Endumeni is one of nine municipalities in KZN where there are 21 forensic investigations underway. George Mari, the DA’s spokesman on local government in KZN, said this was the answer to a question he asked in the KZN Legislature.
“The situation is so bad that the national Minister wants Local Government to ‘go back to basics’. This is an indictment on Municipal Managers, CFO’s and Senior Managers.

“Twenty years under the ANC and what do we have to show for it? Out of control corruption, blatant flouting of SCM policies to enrich the corrupt elite, fraud, corruption and mismanagement with infighting by ANC cadres in an attempt to get to the feeding trough, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure with no consequences, under-spending of capital spending and conditional grants. Here the DA agrees with the MEC that “this is of grave concern”

Mr Mari said, according to the Premier, there are 3million people in KZN alone who are living below the bread line. While this is happening, there are municipal officials who are gorging themselves on Nando’s and KFC to the value of more than R100 000.
Endumeni has had its own Nandos scandal  after nearly R52 000 was spent on food when a contingent of young maidens and municipal officials attended the Nongoma Reed Dance last September. Despite protests a promise of an investigation there still has been report released.

“Incompetent cadres in senior positions are running KZN municipalities into the ground. In Mooi Mpofana while councillors were fired, officials who colluded with them got off scot- free.
A parliamentary reply to the DA has also established that despite numerous forensic investigations being conducted within KZN municipalities over the past two years, not one has yet been concluded with no disciplinary action taken against any officials accused of wrongdoing,” Mr Mari concluded.

Other municipalities under investigation include: Umkhanyakude, Newcastle, Umhlathuze, Jozini, Mfolozi, Uphongola, Amajuba and Nongoma.