The Minister of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa, will make an urgent oversight visit to uThukela District Municipality following a deepening financial crisis that threatens not just service delivery but the possible collapse of the municipality.

This intervention comes after the municipality’s bank accounts were attached on January 21 due to a court dispute over a reported R137 million debt owed to RASP Consultants. The attachment has severely affected the municipality’s financial operations, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of essential services and the welfare of employees.

Hlabisa has called for urgent provincial support to stabilise the municipality and prevent a potential collapse of service delivery that would impact upon thousands of residents across the district.

“The purpose of this visit is to engage all relevant stakeholders in the district to develop a mitigation plan to restore good governance and effective service delivery,” said the minister.

The visit will include engagements with municipal leadership, organised labour, provincial government representatives and other key stakeholders to chart a path towards financial recovery, accountability and institutional stability.

The visit is being undertaken as water-shedding continues unabated in parts of town, while other parts are battling to receive water at all. Added to that, uThukela has launched an urgent application with the High Court to suspend a writ of execution that led to its bank accounts being attached.

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