Admin
03 Jul, 2026
KSD mayoral change must not derail accountability
Statement by Raymond Knock, UDM Whip in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality notes the resignation of Councillor Nyaniso Goodman Nelani as Executive Mayor of KSD, and the election of Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo as the new Executive Mayor. The UDM in KSD respects the principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. The UDM does not seek to prejudge Councillor Nelani or any other accused person. However, Councillor Nelani’s resignation as Executive Mayor cannot be used as a political escape hatch. It is now clear that he remains a councillor in the KSD Council. That raises an even more serious question: what influence does he still hold, what decisions can he still affect, and what further damage could be done if accountability is treated as a mere change of title rather than a serious consequence? Where allegations involving municipal funds are before the courts, the public is entitled to clarity, vigilance and consequence management. Resigning from the mayoral office cannot be allowed to create the impression that the matter has been dealt with, while the same public representative continues to sit in Council and participate in municipal processes. Where serious allegations involving municipal funds are before the courts, the public is entitled to clarity about the status and responsibilities of those implicated. Resigning as mayor must not be used to create uncertainty, avoid accountability, or quietly shift a public representative elsewhere while criminal and internal processes are still underway. Public office is not a hiding place. It is a public trust. This matter was initially reported by the UDM in KSD after concerns were raised regarding the alleged misuse of municipal resources. It was subsequently investigated through the Municipality’s Ad Hoc Committee, which completed its work and submitted its findings to Council. The resignation of the former Executive Mayor does not erase the allegations, the municipal processes, the criminal proceedings, or the need for consequence management. The people of KSD still deserve full answers about what happened, who was involved, how municipal controls failed, and what steps will be taken to recover public money where wrongdoing is proven. The election of a new Executive Mayor must not become a political reset button. Nkosi Dudumayo must now fix what is broken in KSD and walk the straight and narrow. He must act immediately to restore public confidence, strengthen financial controls, stabilise the municipality, protect public money, and ensure that service delivery is placed above factional politics and political protection. The UDM in KSD will be on high alert on behalf of the people. We will watch closely to ensure that the new mayor does not preside over business as usual, that the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations are dealt with lawfully, and that no implicated official or public representative is protected for political reasons. The UDM in KSD reiterates its call for all implicated municipal officials to be suspended in accordance with applicable labour law and disciplinary processes. Public representatives implicated in this matter should step aside while the criminal and internal processes run their course. KSD residents need a municipality that delivers services, protects public money, appoints competent people, and acts against corruption without fear or favour. They do not need another round of ANC damage control, internal deals and redeployments. The UDM in KSD will continue to exercise oversight in Council and will continue to insist that this matter is followed through to its lawful conclusion. The people of KSD deserve ethical, transparent and accountable leadership. UDM. Consistent. Present. Accountable.
Admin
02 Jul, 2026
KSD fraud case shows why municipalities need clean, accountable local government
Statement by Raymond Knock, UDM Whip in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality notes the appearance of the KSD Executive Mayor, Councillor Nyaniso Goodman Nelani, together with the Municipal Manager, the former Chief Financial Officer and other municipal officials, before the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on allegations of fraud relating to the alleged misuse of municipal funds. The UDM in KSD respects the principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. However, this matter raises serious questions about the protection of public money and the ethical standards expected of those entrusted with municipal leadership. This is not merely a court matter. It is a local government matter. Municipalities exist to provide reliable basic services, maintain infrastructure, manage public money responsibly, appoint competent people, enforce accountability, and serve residents with honesty and consistency. Municipal funds must never be treated as private convenience money or party-political resources. The people of KSD deserve a municipality that works. Every rand wasted, misused, diverted or abused is a rand taken away from communities already struggling with unemployment, poor services, failing infrastructure and poverty. This matter was initially reported by the UDM in KSD after concerns were raised regarding the alleged misuse of municipal resources. It was subsequently investigated through the Municipality’s Ad Hoc Committee, which has completed its work and submitted its findings to Council. Council must now do its work. Oversight cannot be reduced to speeches, delays, excuses or political protection. Council must consider the Committee’s recommendations and act in accordance with the law. The UDM in KSD now calls for the immediate suspension of all implicated municipal officials, in accordance with applicable labour law and disciplinary processes. Public representatives implicated in this matter should step aside while the criminal and internal processes run their course. The UDM in KSD will also write to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to request urgent intervention to ensure that all legislative and administrative processes are implemented without delay. This matter demonstrates why local government must be centred on clean governance, competent administration, responsible financial management, consequence management, and service delivery that puts residents first. As the country moves towards the 2026 Local Government Elections, residents must ask a simple question: who can be trusted with the money, services and future of their municipality? The UDM in KSD’s answer is clear. Local government must be consistent in action, present in communities and accountable to the people. It must protect public money, appoint competent people, hold leaders and officials accountable, and serve residents, not political interests. The people of KSD deserve ethical, transparent and accountable leadership. Public office is a public trust, and the UDM in KSD will continue to hold public office bearers accountable through lawful and democratic processes. UDM. CONSISTENT. PRESENT. ACCOUNTABLE.
Admin
06 Aug, 2015
Advancing the developmental agenda of municipalities for a better life for our people
Address by Mr LB Gaehler in the NCOP Hon Chairperson and Honourable Members The ruling party is failing the development agenda of municipalities at the expense of the poor rural masses of our people. The visit to the OR Tambo District has exposed this as a fact. People of Port St Johns and Nyandeni had to take to the streets, in demand for the upgrading and maintenance of the roads which are in a devastating state. External and Internal connecting roads are in a state of constant decay with no sense of an urgent action from the ruling elite. Some roads in the Ingquza Local Municipality remain unsurfaced, yet they were gazetted long time ago. There is absolutely no justification for the neglect of such an important infrastructure. Water and sanitation infrastructure is under budgeted, with only R10 million for the management, painfully with no clarity on whether there is a plan and budget for the replacement and maintenance of the daily decaying infrastructure. In some areas within the KSD and Nyandeni municipalities, poor rural people do not have access to basic human necessity, water. Greenville in Mthatha is a case in point, where water has been a scarce human necessity for more than four weeks. Whilst the District Municipality lists as a success, the development of new towns and malls, town planning fails to address the historic spatial development challenges. Much of the reported and planned development does not confirm existence of a spatial development plan seeking to redress the imbalances of the past. Honourable Chairperson, the socio economic infrastructure of the majority of the rural municipalities, demands a special and dedicated attention. In this regard, the United Democratic Movement proposes that a Special Rural Infrastructure backlog fund be created. The current Municipal Infrastructure Grant is either under budgeted and is not bias towards rural areas. Without this crucial intervention, developmental agenda in rural municipalities cannot be advanced. Finally, the advancement of the municipal development agenda will not be realised as long as we have many of the Senior Municipal Managers like the Municipal Managers of the OR Tambo District, the Port St Johns and KSD local municipalities are in acting positions. Worse, in KSD local municipality this unbearable situation doubles up with an Acting Chief Financial Officer. The Ruling party need to take the people of rural areas serious and treat them with respect, if the developmental agenda is to be advanced. Thank you.
