The DA says it will leave no stone unturned to ensure a municipal demarcation board proposal which calls for the amalgamation of three Midlands municipalities doesn’t see the light of day.
One of the proposals is for the merger of the Impendle, Mooi Mpofana, uMngeni and Msunduzi municipalities to create a new metropolitan municipality.
uMngeni municipality, which was won by the DA in the 2021 local government elections, has received a number of plaudits for turning around the fortunes of the once-troubled municipality. It is headed by mayor Chris Pappas.
DA provincial leader Francois Rodgers deemed the merger as “opportunistic” of the ANC.
“We are of the view that the ANC is embarrassed about the gains the municipality has made. We will fight tooth and nail,” said Rodgers.
But ANC Moses Mabhida regional secretary Samora Ndlovu said they were still engaging over these demarcation board proposals.
“We are still trying to find consensus as a political party. But I can assure you that come the final deadline we would have made the carefully considered view,” said Ndlovu.
Rodgers rubbished suggestions the move was in line with the ambitions of ensuring that the uMgungundlovu district becomes the second metropolitan municipality in the province after eThekwini.
“As it is, Msunduzi municipality is not a viable council. It does not even have enough cash to last five days. What is also interesting out of all of this is the timing. Why did this have to wait until after elections,” said Rodgers.
He argued any leadership aspiring to gain a metro status should prove itself through a solid governance track record.
If this would go ahead I think it would further complicate things.
— Siyabonga Ntombela, University of KwaZulu-Natal political science expert
Ndlovu countered claims suggesting uMgungundlovu could not become a metro as some of the municipalities are not financially viable because of rural locations.
“Why is this coming up now and not in 2017? It’s never been a yardstick. In any case, municipalities also rely on grants,” said Ndlovu.
Rodgers said residents of municipalities neighbouring uMngeni have seen the improvement under Pappas’s leadership.
In a communique on April 14, Pappas urged residents to take note of the proposed merger and possible adverse impact on them. He encouraged them to lodge objections to the demarcation board.
In 2015, the municipal demarcation board broached a similar move where it invited comments for the public to comment on the merger of Mooi-Mpofana and uMngeni.
The move was thwarted after the public railed against it after a fierce battle.
Siyabonga Ntombela, University of KwaZulu-Natal political science expert said: “It’s difficult to understand why this has come to the fore. Does this mean that the ANC is acknowledging the work being done by its political adversaries? Or are they trying to frustrate their foes.”
He said Impendle and Mpofana municipalities were incomparable to uMngeni when it came to the rate base collections.
“If this would go ahead I think it would further complicate things,” said Ntombela.
Independent political analyst Dr Protas Madlala said while he conceded there were some municipalities there were not viable, people should not lose sight of the political motives that may have prompted the move.
“Most municipalities in the rural areas have no means to generate income. I am aware that this can also be used to diminish the power base,” said Madlala.
The deadline for comments to the board is April 28, and it will be followed by a public participation phase.
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