29-07-2025
Urgent calls for KZN Cogta MEC to restore order in troubled KwaDukuza municipality
Opposition parties in the KwaDukuza municipality have blamed its governance crisis on internal conflicts within the ANC and are calling on KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi to step in.
The north coast-based municipality has been plagued by reports of instability and a potential collapse since the ANC removed Lindile Nhaca as mayor in a no-confidence vote in December 2024. Nhaca's removal came after her fallout with the party's then-provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo.
She was replaced by Muzi Ngidi, who didn't last long either, before being forced out of the mayoral office by the party earlier this month, along with deputy mayor Njabulo Cele.
Ngidi had only been in office for eight months when the ANC's provincial task team (PTT) co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu announced he had also been recalled after a controversial tenure that had included allegations of corruption, misuse of municipal vehicles and excessive security expenses.
The PTT announced that the two would also be liable to pay a portion of the money that the municipality spent on Ngidi's vehicle hire during their tenure.
The two were retained in their respective positions until the party and its coalition partners elected their replacements to ensure 'continuity'.
The DA and ActionSA in the council have since highlighted the impact that those actions and internal disputes in the ANC have had on the municipality.
Privi Makhan, DA caucus leader, pointed to Ngidi's continued spell in office -despite his official recall — while his party looks for a replacement as the cause of the leadership uncertainty within the municipality, which has led to last-minute cancellations of portfolio committee and EXCO meetings. That has undermined the legislative functions of the council and is affecting service delivery, he said.
'Caretaker mayor Ngidi however appears exceedingly content to play the role of ceremonial figurehead, attending public events and persevering with his handshaking exercises, while refusing to take political responsibility for the legislative crisis unfolding under his watch. It has become increasingly clear that between him and his cabal, he remains hell-bent on collapsing the municipality, which is reminiscent of his eight-month tenure in office,' said Makhan.
'KwaDukuza is not a pawn in the ANC's internal political games. Communities are being denied basic services, as a result of Ngidi's disdain for a decision made by his own movement.
'This political circus, created and sustained by the ANC, must come to an end. KwaDukuza needs stable, accountable leadership, not more chaos driven by internal ANC dysfunction.'
He called on Buthelezi to intervene to ensure stability in the municipality.
ActionSA councillor Halalisani Ndlovu expressed similar sentiments. Ndlovu wrote a letter to the department requesting an urgent intervention in the 'ongoing collapse of governance and oversight' in KwaDukuza.
She said her main cause for concern was the collapse of the financial and local public administration and human resources (FLPA) committee, which oversees critical functions like expenditure monitoring, procurement and budget implementation as per the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
'The committee last met on June 4 . Since then, no meetings have been convened to consider matters for June or July. The July 25 meeting was abruptly postponed with no explanation or alternative date provided. The next scheduled sitting is only on August 20, meaning three consecutive months of oversight will be lost,' she said.
'This is a dereliction of duty that threatens the very integrity of the municipality's governance and financial accountability.'
She added that executive directors had also missed committee meetings, often without formal apologies or explanations, which have added to the crisis within the committee.
'This reflects a blatant disregard for institutional responsibilities and the accountability obligations of senior officials.
'As a result, oversight over the municipality's finances has collapsed. Our fiduciary duty as councillors and members of the finance committee to monitor procurement and performance processes has ground to a halt, and the public interest is being severely undermined.'
Ndlovu said Ngidi served as a chairperson for the FLPA committee, and the uncertainty around him and the mayoral position was at the centre of this crisis.
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