Water woes: Cogta deploys experts to Ugu
This pressure has been successful and now Ugu has been placed under a Section 154 intervention.
Many areas around Margate, Ramsgate and Port Edward have been without water for over a week.
Dr Rishigen Viranna MPL, Democratic Alliance (DA) constituency head of Ugu South said other areas along the coast have intermittent water supply, with Harding and many rural areas being without water for months.
Viranna said DA councillors have been on the ground reporting and assisting communities with water.
“As the DA Ugu South constituency, we have raised this matter within council, provincial and national parliament; submitted petitions and motions, and protested and marched to the Ugu offices demanding service delivery for residents.”
He said that one of their major demands was for the municipality to be placed under administration.
“The district municipality is in distress both financially and in terms of service delivery to its residents. Finally, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The DA has placed continuous pressure on the MEC of Cogta to intervene in Ugu,” he said.
This pressure has been successful and now Ugu has been placed under a Section 154 intervention.
“Under this section, both provincial and national departments can intervene in the municipality to strengthen capacity and support the delivery of basic municipal services. In this case, water and sanitation services. For additional capacity support, Cogta has sent a financial expert and a governance expert and the Department of Water and Sanitation technical and engineering experts,” said Viranna.
However, Senzo Mzila, spokesman of Cogta, said it’s mischievous of the DA to claim victories that do not exist.
“Supporting municipalities in terms of Section 154 of the constitution is a normal mandate of the provincial government. As a matter of fact the deployment of experts has been done at several other municipalities,” he said.
Mzila pointed out that with Ugu specifically, the deployment of Sibusiso Sithole (acting municipal manager) was part of that mandate and support.
“Several other officials of Cogta are supporting Ugu and other municipalities, the difference being that they are not full time at Ugu municipality, like the experts,” he concluded.
Following the 2021 local government elections, the DA has a newly elected caucus in the district council which will closely monitor these experts and their interventions.
“We expect the swift resolution to the billing crisis, the formulation of the funded budget with a proper maintenance allocation and a proper maintenance plan for our ageing water and sanitation infrastructure,” said Viranna.
He concluded that if a section 154 intervention proves unsuccessful the next step is a section 139 administration of Ugu where all municipal functions are taken over by a Cogta-appointed administrator.
No sinister motive as Ugu receives support
France Zama, Ugu District Municipality spokesperson also responded to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) press statement.
He said Section 154 of the constitution of the Republic of South Africa makes provision for both national and provincial governments to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities, and therefore there is nothing sinister about the municipality receiving support under this constitutional provision.
“As a matter of a fact, most municipalities across the country are being offered this support and our municipality is no exception as we have been receiving this support over the past years,” he added.
He said they are perplexed by this fanfare staged by the DA in this regard because they have been part of the municipal council over the years when this support had been offered, unless they only woke up to this constitutional provision today, but nevertheless, there is nothing new here.
“We view this public fanfare by the DA as desperate attempt to mislead and confuse members of the public by creating a negative narrative about section 154 support offered to municipalities,” he said.
Zama said the municipality shall never be deterred by these political theatrics, we have a huge task at our disposal of advancing the legislative mandate being placed upon us as a water services authority.
“We are currently seized with tasks and responsibility of responding to the outcry of our communities about the provision of water during the festive season.”
He concluded that they call on the DA to direct its energy into joining them in this mission and desist from the preoccupation of claiming easy victories.
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