High Court ruling intensifies power struggle in UMkhanyakude Municipality

The ongoing conflict between the ANC-led UMkhanyakude District Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has intensified.

Tensions escalated following the Pietermaritzburg High Court's dismissal of the municipality's bid to prevent the administrator, Bamba Ndwandwe, on Monday, from taking office at the entity's headquarters.

Buthelezi's decision to place the municipality under administration arose after alarming observations by the Auditor-General of South Africa, Tsakani Maluleke, who highlighted material breaches in the municipality's operations.

The district's mayor, Siphile Mdaka, who has opposed the appointment of an administrator from the outset, reaffirmed that stance yesterday by indicating that Ndwandwe would not be permitted to step foot on municipal property.

Speaking to community members, Mdaka affirmed: “We just want to confirm that there’s no administrator that is going to enter here. There should be no issues of contradiction when it comes to that.”

His comments revealed growing tension that lent itself to a broader political battle for control of the municipality between the ANC and the IFP. “At some point, we have to defeat this monster,” he said indignantly.

The IFP’s regional chairperson, Naye Mathe, reacted to Mdaka's statements.

He accused the ANC and its mayor of clinging to power while the municipality disintegrated under the party's leadership.

Mathe asserted that the municipality required administrative intervention, pointing to issues of financial mismanagement and the disappearance of funds.

“The municipality deserves to be placed under administration. For one, we have monies that are missing, and no one can account for,” he stated, echoing the concerns prevalent among community leaders.

Mathe expressed disappointment over the ANC's obstruction of Ndwandwe’s entry, describing the act as counterproductive to resolving urgent municipal issues.

“The administrator won’t force his way in since these bullies (ANC) have closed the gates,” he said.

While the impasse continued, municipal employees anxiously awaited their paychecks, raising concerns over the impact of the conflict on essential services in the district.

Following Monday's court ruling, which confirmed that Ndwandwe must take up his position, Buthelezi welcomed the outcome as a validation of the rule of law.

He urged the mayor to facilitate Ndwandwe's access to ensure the restoration of normal operations in the municipality.

However, the municipality's leadership remained unmoved by the court outcome and argued that the order granted focused primarily on an application from the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) pertaining to salary payments rather than the broader need for intervention.

Earlier, municipal Speaker Solomon Mkhombo stated that the COGTA’s actions were premature and procedurally unfair, insisting that the constitutional rights of the local government institution had been disregarded.

The tensions within the municipality escalated further last month when the KZN Treasury's MEC, Francois Rodgers, withdrew financial aid to the municipality, which placed the governance and service delivery in the region in serious doubt.

DAILY NEWS