ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal leader Zwakele Mncwango has accused the DA of causing wasteful expenditure for failing to stop an ousted councillor receiving more than R200,000.
The party says it deliberately didn't declare a vacancy post for its expelled councillor, which allowed former DA ward 110 councillor Aamir Abdul to receive R205,000 over five months from the city which was not due to him.
The ward covers the suburbs of Sunningdale, Glen Anil, Glenhills, Mount Moriah, Mount Royal and Southgate, north of Durban.
“I write to you to bring to your attention a matter of grave concern regarding the DA and its failure to uphold the principles of accountability and good governance in eThekwini Municipality,” Mncwango said in a letter to eThekwini speaker Thabani Nyawose.
Mncwango said he learnt the DA suspended Abdul on September 20 after complaints against him by the community in the ward.
“In a letter to residents, the DA’s chairperson informed them another councillor was appointed to take over service delivery needs in the ward. On December 5, Abdul was officially terminated by the DA, meaning he was no longer eligible to serve as a councillor under the provisions of the Municipal Structures Act," Mncwango said.
Mncwango alleges the DA intentionally chose not to inform the municipality in a timely manner, allowing Abdul to continue receiving full pay from the municipality and effectively defrauding ratepayers.
The cost per councillor in the municipality is R39,000 per month, with an additional R2,000 constituency allowance, bringing the total to R41,000.
“The DA’s apparent lack of action has cost ratepayers a staggering R205,000 in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Even more concerning, reports indicate that Abdul received municipal vouchers meant for ward 110 residents in December.”
“Shockingly, numerous community members have alleged they never received those vouchers, raising serious concerns about misappropriation,” Mncwango said.
He said the DA complains when these unlawful acts are done by the ANC, and they would not remain silence when they are done by the DA.
“I have established the DA was trying to manage their internal processes of appointing a replacement for Abdul at the expense of taxpayers' money,” said Mncwango.
Abdul didn't respond to queries from TimesLIVE Premium.
DA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Dean Macpherson said: “The only wasteful expenditure I am aware of is when Zwakele Mncwango went overseas as a member of the legislature for the DA, which cost R150,000 a week before he resigned. He has never answered why he did that and why he has never paid the legislature and taxpayers back. He has totally avoided accounting for this.
“Mr Abdul went through an internal DA process due to his incapacity and personal health circumstances. We had to satisfy all internal and external legal processes as we are a party of the rule of law, unlike ActionSA who has no constitution and change people as they like.”
He dismissed Mcwango as an “attention seeker who has no support in his own party and with the public”.
eThekwini municipality deputy head in the speaker's office, Belinda Mhlongo, said the speaker received correspondence from the DA on Thursday about Abdul's termination.
“A vacancy will be declared accordingly and residents will be advised as to what will happen in the interim until a by-election is concluded,” said Mhlongo.
Zamani Khuzwayo is the interim councillor pending the by-election.
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