ANC infighting hurts eThekwini

The ongoing uncertainty in the leadership race tearing apart the ANC in eThekwini is now compromising service provision. Councillors in the warring camps have been accused by opposition parties of sabotaging each others’ efforts to effectively carry out city administration, a claim that the eThekwini Municipality denies. Mayor James Nxumalo and his fellow executive committee and ANC colleague, Zandile Gumede, are in the running for the lucrative post of regional chairman. Up for grabs is the mayoral position and control of the city’s R39.1-billion budget after next year’s local government elections. The Mercury last week reported how medical waste was piling up at the city’s 90 clinics owing to a problem with a contract to remove the waste, which was under investigation. It was also reported how two, but possibly more, contracts had not been renewed, leaving metro police officers in the lurch. These were contracts with towing companies and for speed camera equipment.

Gumede is the chairwoman of the emergency services committee under which both clinics and the metro police fall. Opposition parties are now fed-up, and are urging the city to draw a clear line between intra-party politics and municipal governance. The DA, IFP and NFP have all complained about how the squabbling has affected service provision. IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said officials with political ties were now tangled up in the scrap for the top post. “It looks like officials are being told to stop certain projects until a leader is elected,” he said. “eThekwini has a R39.1-billion budget, so it is all about the money and not about servicing the community. This is frustrating officials hired to implement projects. “If you look around in Durban, major projects are on hold - why? It’s because of the race. The ANC must separate governance and its political issues,” he said. “I’d like you to ask the city manager how much of the budget has been spent on service delivery since July compared to previous financial years. Project managers will tell you that nothing is happening; everything is at a standstill.”

He said only “critical services” were being implemented. His sentiments were echoed by DA provincial and eThekwini caucus leader, Zwakele Mncwango. “Zandile (Gumede’s) committee is sidelined… anything coming from her committee is scrutinised. Matters from her committee are always being deferred. The question is, why?” he asked. “People are being evicted and their houses are being demolished in Amaoti and it’s clear that it emanates from this political squabble. I wrote to the mayor (James Nxumalo) and the city manager (S’bu Sithole) last week telling them this. It can’t be right. The community is bearing the brunt because of this. “Even reports are not coming through. They made a commitment to you in your story but those reports never came. I asked them in that meeting, but we were again told the reports would be submitted in the next exco meeting.” MF councillor Patrick Pillay said: “It raises a lot of questions when departments or officials want to sabotage service delivery and undermine the contracts processes.

“I hope it is not because of the upcoming conference because it doesn’t augur well for the administration to participate in any politics,” he said. He said officials found to be “undermining processes” should be investigated. Municipal spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa denied that the alleged political stand-off was to blame for contracts not being renewed and the slow pace of service. She said the city’s governance and decision-making structures were functioning normally. “Contracts are managed and adjudicated by officials through the appropriate tender committees such as the bid adjudication committee and bid evaluation committee, not political principals,” she said.