KwaZulu-Natal CoGTA has deployed Thanda Manda as a technical expert to support Endumeni Municipality as it battles to resolve its budget deadlock and financial problems.

Manda is expected to assist with budget expenditure, governance and recovery measures, while working with the municipal manager and council.

He is serving his second stint at Endumeni after previously acting as municipal manager following the death of Martin Sithole earlier this year.

The intervention follows repeated failures by council to adopt the 2026/27 budget. CoGTA said the appointment is intended to help resolve the impasse and strengthen governance and service delivery.

Political parties remain divided

IFP Endumeni spokesperson Richard Mbatha said the party supported the intervention, saying residents had been let down by the prolonged council deadlock and failure to adopt a workable budget.

“Residents of Endumeni must come first. The ongoing political deadlock, the failure to adopt a credible budget, and the growing financial and service delivery problems have made intervention necessary,” said Mbatha.

He said the intervention should focus on protecting funds for essential services, settling the municipality’s Eskom debt, recovering money owed by government departments and strengthening financial controls.

DA councillor Saleem Abdool, however, questioned the appointment, saying its purpose appeared to be “to get the budget passed, which is unfunded”.

“This appointment could cause a collision between the municipal manager, financial manager and the expert, whose focus is to be on financial matters. This could cause chaos,” he said.

Abdool also raised concerns about outstanding issues including the Disaster Relief Fund probe, the SIU report, an alleged R17.6 million write-off, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and the sale of a municipal grader.

“The DA’s view is that the municipality should be put under administration until the elections,” he said.

Endumeni Residents Association representative FC Bester was also critical, saying the intervention would not resolve the municipality’s problems while the current council remained in place.

“We feel they are playing games with us while the town is literally crumbling around us,” said Bester.

He pointed to the disconnection of electricity at Talana Museum during a week when three busloads of UK tourists visited, as well as the municipality’s internet being cut off, both reportedly because of non-payment.

Bester called for the resignation of all councillors and said a committee of residents should run the municipality until the elections.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Like our Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and on our Whats Up Channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6TezkADTOJIPNmvO3u or email us at dundee.courier@caxton.co.za.