Support for investigation into City’s affairs

THIS is in response to last week’s article in the Zululand Observer entitled ‘City under investigation’

As the Ward 2 Councillor and ward committee, we are at last supported by the very officials and political leaders who did not give attention to our ongoing campaign against the exact issues that COGTA intend investigating.

We have been at meetings with the mayor and officials on issues mentioned in the article since the beginning of 2012. With no response from anyone, we eventually sent a list of concerns to COGTA MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube on 27 May 2013 requesting an urgent meeting. This meeting transpired on 2 July 2013.

We had a very in-depth discussion with the COGTA representative and a follow-up meeting in November. Sadly we did not see immediate action nor received any feedback from the MEC or her staff. Ward 2 nevertheless continued with our monthly meetings and follow-ups on outstanding issues. A few easy fixes were addressed, but sadly not the real cause of the problems that we as Ward 2 identified.

These very same allegations and concerns with more specific items were listed and presented in two thick files to COGTA. We support this investigation and sincerely hope that all role players and community members affected and interested in this ongoing maladministration, are interviewed.

May this investigation uncover all the underlying problems at the City of uMhlathuze.

ALEN VILJOEN

UMHLATHUZE WARD 2 COUNCILLOR