VANDERBIJLPARK — The Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Ethics Committee of failing to meet or take any action for more than six months, despite serious allegations against ANC councillor Cedric Davids.

Davids, who represents Ward 28 in Evaton West, was referred to the Ethics Committee last year after residents of the Hollywood informal settlement accused him of illegally allocating and selling stands on land he did not own. According to a Sowetan report, several residents claimed to have paid up to R10,000 into the bank account of Davids’s wife for portions of land later found to be privately owned by Evaton Mathlo Projects.

The company has since sought a court order to evict about 35 families occupying the property, saying the land had been unlawfully allocated. The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements confirmed that the land was privately owned and that no individual had been authorised to sell or allocate stands on it.

Davids has denied taking money from residents, saying he merely helped families settle and access water connections, while both he and his wife have challenged accusers to lay charges if they believe they were defrauded.

The DA says the Ethics Committee’s failure to meet or act has allowed “corruption and incompetence to thrive” in Emfuleni. The party has called on COGTA to launch a full-scale investigation into the committee’s dysfunction and will request that the current chairperson step aside.

“If proven, this is a criminal offence,” the DA said, adding that the committee’s inaction undermines accountability in the municipality.