Admin
25 Aug, 2020
Service delivery protests in Msinga: UDM in KZN condemns mayors’ bullying
Year-on-year, the Msinga Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has been rated one of the worst performing municipalities in the country. Water provision for this community has been a perennially unsolved problem with the Umzinyathi District Municipality, even though the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KZN has consistently highlighted this issue. It is therefore no wonder that residents in this area have recently taken to the streets to protest poor service delivery. The UDM in KZN is however concerned about the language and tone of Msinga Mayor, Buyiswa Ngcobo, in addressing these service delivery issues, in particular regarding Ward 12, where she is the responsible ward councillor. When she recently spoke on a community radio station, she was arrogant and unsympathetic, indicating that some protestors had already been arrested. As much as the UDM condemns violence and destruction of property, the powers that be in Msinga must realise that the blame for such behaviour is to be laid squarely at their feet. The UDM in KZN furthermore would like to understand why the Mayor of Msinga and the Mayor of Umzinyathi District Municipality, Petros Ngubane, would drag community representatives to a meeting, today, at the Helpmekaar Police Station, which is quite far for the community leaders to travel at great cost to themselves, whilst they are amongst the poorest of the poor. We also question why the mayors wanted the meeting to take place in a police station at all? No community member would feel free to voice their frustrations about service delivery whilst surrounded by armed police, inside a police station. Should tempers flare, we could have another Marikana on our hands. This is unadulterated intimidation and is, in fact, quite irresponsible. The UDM in KZN calls on both the MECs for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and for Safety and Security to speedily intervene in this situation to help the people of Msinga. — end — Issued by: Mr Boysey Gumede UDM-KZN Interim Provincial Secretary.
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05 Aug, 2020
R30m PPE scandal: AFU must restrain KZN social development officials’ property
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) calls on the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) to urgently apply for an order of restraint of the property of the high-ranking provincial social development officials who have been accused of contravening the Public Finance Management Act and who face charges of misconduct over the dodgy procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as blankets. We commend the department’s move to suspend the implicated officials as announced by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for social development Nonhlanhla Khoza. However, suspending them and opening criminal cases are not enough, the AFU should obtain a restraint order to seize property before their potential conviction to ensure that the property is available to be sold later if needs be to recoup the R30 million. Furthermore, the department must take the public into confidence and indicate whether this is the only filthy transaction that these officials might have been involved in, if there are any other transactions, those too must be made known publicly. It is however an indictment of the department that it only ordered investigation, into what appears to be blatant theft, due to public pressure. Whether public pressure is exerted or not, the government owes it to the South African taxpayer to be transparent in all its dealings, especially where corruption is concerned. The UDM also calls upon the department to name and shame the involved service providers and to blacklist them so that they may not do any further business with the government. Issued by: Mr Boysey Gumede UDM KZN Interim Provincial Secretary
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26 May, 2020
UDM KZN perplexed at renaming of Umzinyathi District Municipality to Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KwaZulu-Natal is shocked at the announcement made by Umzinyathi District Municipality Mayor PMS Ngubane, that the municipality is undergoing a name change to “Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi District Municipality”. The Umzinyathi community was taken by total surprise when we heard the announcement via uKhoziFM. What is at issue here is the constitutional mandate the directs municipalities as per Sections 152(1)(e) and 153(a) of the Constitution, which reads: S152(1) “ The objects of local government are: (e)To encourage the involvement of the communities and community organizations in the matters of local government “. S153(a) “A municipality must structure and manage its administration and budgeting and planning process to give priority to the basic needs of the community, and to promote the social and economic development of the community”. As far as the UDM in KwaZulu-Natal is aware, there was no consultation with the community, regarding the name-change, as is dictated by Section 152(1)(e) and for all intents and purposes, a name is being forced down their throats. If the community had been consulted, there would have been several, well-known local names that would have been thrown into the hat, such as Inkosi Simakade Mchunu, Mr FS Sikhakhane (former mayor of Msinga) and Bambatha kaMancinza. At the heart of the matter is a lack of prioritisation when a random name change is now more important than this municipality discharging its core functions. Section 153(e) explicitly directs municipalities to give priority to basic needs provision in its budgeting and planning. The Umzinyathi District Municipality is failing to provide water to its communities. One of the excuses is that it awaits financial assistance from the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department, to fix 706 dysfunctional water hand pumps to the tune of R1.5m. Yet it has the audacity to splash scarce funds on a name change. The UDM in KwaZulu-Natal calls on the Umzinyathi District Municipality to correct its skewed priorities, halt the name change and re-channel those funds into fixing the 706 water hand pumps. This is the morally and constitutionally correct thing to do. — end — Issued by: Mr Boysey Gumede UDM KwaZulu-Natal Interim Provincial Secretary
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12 Nov, 2019
KZN provincial government is extravagant
The United Democratic Movement is perturbed by the news that the MEC for Education in the Province is using a hired motor vehicle for his official business that is costing taxpayers a whooping R100 000 per month. This is unbelievable if one considers that the ANC claims to be the government of the people and which represent the poorest of the poor. This is an illustration that the ANC led government does not practice what it teaches. The same government has made a lot of noise that it is going to do everything to save but look at this. This country is a now replica of Animal Farm. In five months’, time with this money a big luxurious motor vehicle in the range of a Toyota Fortuner can be easily bought. The big question that the UDM is asking, is this procurement of this hired motor vehicle in question a result of gross negligence or incompetence of officials or the department itself? Does this mean the motor vehicles of the state are not insured with a benefit of a provision of hired vehicles if it happened that they are booked for service or repairs? Courtesy cars should be available, This raises so much concern. The UDM KZN calls upon the Office of the Premier to do a proper investigation on this matter that will among other things find those involved who did not do their work. Whoever found wanting must pay back the money that has been spent unwisely. This is pure wasteful expenditure. End// Issued by: Boysey Gumede UDM-KZN Interim Provincial Secretary
Admin
25 Oct, 2018
UDM KwaZulu-Natal calls for Endumeni municipal manager to resign or to be suspended with immediate effect
UDM KwaZulu-Natal calls for Endumeni municipal manager to resign or to be suspended with immediate effect After our media statement of 23 October 2018 regarding deeply concerning issues in the Endumeni Municipality in the uMzinyathi District, the United Democratic Movement in KwaZulu Natal were given explosive documents that should make the Endumeni municipal manager’s life very uncomfortable. The documents contain damning proof of the municipal manager ‘s gross negligence and/or corruption by improperly and irregularly signing a contract worth R 969 000, which he has since tried to nullify by withdrawing an appointment letter. Such action has been challenged in court by the concerned service provider and is due to be heard on 6 December 2018 in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. 1. The appointment letter was signed by the municipal manager on 8 June 2018. 2. The contract which states that 50% of the contractual value (R484 500) is payable within thirty days of signing the contract, was signed by the municipal manager on 26 June 2018. 3. On 30 August 2018, the municipal manager wrote to the service provider to withdraw the letter of appointment, citing among other reasons that “Your document was incomplete as you had not filed MBD 1 nor MBD 3.1 which are compulsory to Special Conditions of Bid, point no. 10”. 4. On 15 October 2018 the concerned service provider filed a court application to enforce the contract. The sequence of events clearly proves either gross negligence and/or corruption on the part of the municipal manager. It is very disturbing that the Inkatha Freedom Party-led coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is keeping mum on this and by implication intend to cause further financial losses at the expense of the Endumeni residents. The UDM KZN, urges both the DA and the EFF particularly, to put Endumeni residents first by personally pushing for the removal of the municipal manager and holding him accountable for the already lost municipal funds. Issued by Mr Boysey Gumede Interim Provincial Secretary UDM in KwaZulu-Natal
