Lekwa Municipality has made history since it is the first time national government will intervene on local level.
Those were the words of Mr Nicolaas Selepe, councillor of the Civic Voice, on Monday, 17 May.
The national executive, and not the provincial government, is to intervene at the municipality.
The Standerton Advertiser is in possession of a document about a cabinet meeting of Wednesday, 12 May, where cabinet was briefed on a court order that instructed National Treasury to intervene, according to Section 139 (7) of the Constitution of South Africa.
The latter provides intervention by National Treasury and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) to address governance and financial system failures of the municipality.
Section 139 (7) when paraphrased, reads that if a provincial executive can not or does not adequately exercise the power or perform the relevant constitutional functions, intervention is needed.
In simple terms, national government can override the provincial government.
According to the document, the Minister of Finance and CoGTA will in due course announce institutional arrangements that will be implemented.
The arrangements will aim at stabilising the municipality and ensure a return to service delivery.
Mr Selepe said national government will appoint an administrator.
He mentioned however, that it is hoped that financial assistance will also form part and parcel of the implementations.
The newspaper contacted the communications manager of the municipality, Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, on 17 May, for comment.
Ms Mtshiselwa replied that an update will be given as soon as an official document is received.
Messages were also left for the DA-Member of Parliament, Ms Angel Khanyile, as well as for DA-councillor, Mr Louis Jansen van Rensburg, the same day.
Ms Khanyile said although the intervention is an acceptable move, it comes rather too late.
“Lekwa’s situation was raised in parliament and in the portfolio committee at CoGTA,” she also said.
“The ANC has done absolutely nothing in the past five years.”
Ms Khanyile undertook to send the statement of the the DA’s provincial executive to the newspaper as soon as possible.
The reason for contacting the DA lies in their motion of no confidence against the mayor, Mr Linda Dhlamini, and speaker, Ms Harriet Khota as far back as November 2018.
They were removed from council, but reinstated by the ANC.
A news bulletin on a national radio station on Sunday, 16 May referred to Lekwa as a municipality characterised by political infighting.
