FOR years, this newspaper has been at the forefront of interpreting complex municipal matters for the ordinary man on the street.
From highlighting commendable achievements to revealing nepotism, lurking corruption in municipal hallways and deciphering financial jargon, ratepayers have been privy to crucial information of public interest.
After all, citizens do have a right to know it all and hold elected representatives accountable when public funds are misspent – or as was recently the case, underspent.
The City of uMhlathuze, who has made many a front page for being the cleanest city, best run municipality and fastest growing city in its heyday, is now at the centre of what could become an inevitable political scandal.
A second showdown between a senior manager and the municipality is playing out, and as in the case of former Deputy Municipal Manager: Infrastructure and Technical Services, Sifiso Mdakane, dirty political laundry is being hung out to dry.
Allegations of direct political manipulation into municipal administration were neatly swept underneath the carpet when the above mentioned case fell away less than three months ago.
The argument at the time was failure to exhaustively spend the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) on pressing service delivery projects for two consecutive financial years.
It was glaringly obvious that incapacity and poor planning were key problem areas.
But nobody bothered to address another red flag – the pinpointing of top political heavyweights as the ‘masterminds’, who were said to be pulling the strings when it came to the removal of staff and hiring of contractors at the municipality.
Just 90 days after these claims were canned; allegations of political bullying, misrepresentation of qualifications and union interference have resurfaced in a legal face-off between Deputy Municipal Manager: Corporate Services, Mbali Ndlovu, and her employer.
The merits of this case will either be judged in a court of law or through proper disciplinary proceedings. Whatever the outcome, one cannot ignore the accusation that personnel are allegedly facing the ‘wrath’ of officials in certain quarters because of their refusal to ‘bow down’ to political pressure.
Right questions
Before uMhlathuze collapses into financial ruin, higher authorities should be asking the right questions.
Why is funding lying dormant when people on the ground are crying for services? Could it be incompetent staff, sheer laziness or is there indeed, as claimed, a political puppeteer pulling the strings to hire relatives and funders of political parties?
Contrary to Batho Pele principles, the operations of local government are sadly being contaminated by a cancerous and opportunistic political agenda driven by financial gain.
The term Batho Pele means ‘People First’ – simply putting other people first before considering one’s own needs.
Let’s get back to the basics or else we will be no better than the greater part of Africa where corruption and political greed has eroded the very wealth of the continent.
Jobs must be by merit and for who can do it at it best,not for family or friends of union members or politicians.I think Mbali Ndlovu,has being bullied by unions and high ranking politicians to give jobs to friends and family .We must not allow that as this municipality is only one of the few with fair service delivery.It was one of the best and slowly is going down.We must carry on getting the best workers for the positions no matter what color of the skin they are all we need is that they are qualify to do the job and do it properly.