DEAR Editor,-
I was very interested to read in the Herald last week the report that municipal councillors who are found to have defaulted on their rates stand to lose their jobs. The report reads that the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube (of the speeding blue light brigade) has instructed municipal councils in all KZN’s 61 municipalities to initiate disciplinary action against any councillors found to have defaulted on their rates, as this constitutes a violation of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.
The MEC goes on to say that these councillors should not be serving in this important sphere of government. She says our municipalities can ill afford councillors who owe rates, while they depend on ordinary ratepayers for their livelihoods.
Nomusa Dube-Ncube has instructed all municipal speakers, who are in any event required by the Municipal Systems Act to convene meetings, to deal with this issue and report back to the department and states in no uncertain manner that she wants to see consequences.
Don’t hold your breath! According to the draft annual report of Ugu District Council, there are four councillors who had consumer accounts arrears, which were outstanding for a period not exceeding 90 days and then went on to exceed 90 days in all four cases!
Far be it from me to rat on my fellow councillors by naming and shaming them. However, I can offer a few hints. They are all members of the ANC – more seriously they are all repeat offenders. Two of them are in leadership positions. Go figure what the consequences might be for these four councillors!
DAVE SNASHALL
