Latest news with #Cogta
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
uMkhanyakude District challenges intervention
uMkhanyakude District Municipality is challenging the intervention instituted by Cogta MEC Thualasizwe Buthelezi. This after Buthelezi placed the district municipality under administration and announced the appointment of Bamba Ndwandwe as administrator on Monday last week. Ndwandwe, a seasoned local government veteran, has extensive experience working with various municipalities across the province. According to Buthelezi, Ndwandwe assumed his duties on 1 July and will serve as the ministerial representative until December. ALSO READ: uMkhanyakude District Municipality challenges Cogta intervention Buthelezi also announced the initiation of a forensic investigation into allegations of corruption and maladministration that have been brought to his attention. This investigation, being conducted in terms of Section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act, aims to thoroughly examine the various allegations. The intervention will ensure officials are held accountable should any wrongdoing be uncovered by investigators. Buthelezi further urged the municipal leadership to fully co-operate with the administrator and investigators. 'This cooperation is crucial to ensure the challenges facing the municipality receive the urgent attention they deserve,' he said. 'Fight back' uMkhanyakude Speaker Solomon Mkhombo claims the intervention has something to do with next year's local elections. 'He is using his position to say he is providing intervention in the interest of good governance. We know he is a wolf pursuing his political interest. 'We have written two letters to him, praying for him to open an engagement opportunity. We are still waiting for his response, but if he is not willing, we will be left with only one choice: to challenge the matter in court. 'We feel a lot of constitutional rights have been violated, and cannot fold our arms while being bullied. 'He is bringing a Section 106 investigation and we will co-operate with that investigation, provided it does not push any political agenda,' he said. ALSO READ: uMkhanyakude, Zululand districts get update on bulk water supply project Mkhombo said they viewed the MEC's action as undermining the legitimate authority of elected councillors and the will of the electorate that placed them in office. 'We do not have any reason to cooperate with the administrator; we will continue to work on our own, because as far as we are concerned, all the triggers that were raised before have been resolved. 'The previous intervention lasted almost five years, from February 2021 to 30 April 2025. When the intervention lapsed in April, the MEC misrepresented facts to Council on the basis that the intervention had not lapsed or terminated. 'Council refuted his claim in a letter addressed to him,' said Mkhombo. He went on to say that they are gravely concerned about the 'premature, unnecessary and procedurally unfair intervention that disregards the autonomy and constitutional rights of the local government institution', adding that the current state of governance at uMkhanyakude 'does not warrant this drastic measure'. 'The intervention should be used as a last resort, only when all other avenues have been exhausted, and only when there is a clear and sustained failure by the council to fulfil its executive obligations. We firmly believe this threshold has not been met in this instance,' he said. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Zawya
a day ago
- Health
- Zawya
South Africa: Eastern Cape floods cause $282mln in damage – health facilities among worst hit
Homes, roads, bridges, schools and clinics were swept away as floods tore through the Eastern Cape — causing damage estimated at R5bn, with health facilities among the hardest hit. The Eastern Cape government says it will need at least R88m to repair hospitals and clinics damaged during the disaster. The province's Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) department confirmed that 63 healthcare facilities sustained damage in the deluge. The severe weather, which struck 38 days ago, caused widespread destruction across the Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi and Sarah Baartman municipalities, while the OR Tambo and Amathole districts were the most severely affected. Providing an update from Mthatha on Wednesday, 17 July 2025 Cogta MEC Zolile Williams said recovery and disaster-response efforts were underway, with health infrastructure forming a key focus due to the level of destruction. 'Repairs will cost approximately R88m,' said Williams. 'Immediate repair work has already started at some facilities, and primary healthcare services have continued to reach the hardest-hit communities.' Williams added that a comprehensive assessment and verification of infrastructure damage had been completed by technical teams, paving the way for targeted recovery operations. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
KZN Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi clashes with Umkhanyakude Municipality over intervention
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cogta Thulasizwe Buthelezi said he was barred from entering the municipal premises. Image: Supplied KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi was forced to address councillors outside the locked gates of the Umkhanyakude District Municipality in Mkhuze, in the far north of the province, yesterday after senior municipal officials allegedly attempted to block his visit. The MEC described the incident as a blatant act of obstruction by officials, including the Speaker and Municipal Manager of the Umkhanyakude District, who 'barricaded the entrance to the municipality' to stop him from fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities. With the doors to the municipal offices locked, the MEC held his meeting at the entrance of the building, where he informed councillors that the Provincial Executive Council had resolved to place the municipality under administration in terms of Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution. 'This section empowers the provincial government to appoint an administrator when a municipality fails to fulfil its duties of providing services to communities,' Buthelezi explained. In a statement yesterday afternoon, Umkhanyakude Municipality said it was strongly opposed to the intervention by the Cogta MEC and stated it was irregular. Buthelezi announced the appointment of Bamba Ndwandwe as the new administrator. 'Mr. Ndwandwe is a seasoned local government veteran with extensive experience working with various municipalities across the province,' the MEC said. Ndwandwe officially took office on July 1. His immediate mandate is to stabilise the municipality and develop a 'comprehensive turnaround plan' to address the issues that led to the intervention. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Buthelezi also revealed that a forensic investigation, authorised under Section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act, had been launched to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration. 'The investigation aims to thoroughly examine the various allegations, and officials will be held accountable should any wrongdoing be uncovered by the investigators,' he said. The MEC called on the absent municipal leadership to cooperate fully with both the administrator and investigators, stressing the importance of urgency. 'MEC Buthelezi reiterated his unwavering commitment to working collaboratively with all KZN Municipalities to ensure they effectively deliver services and prioritise the interests of their communities,' the department stated. Despite the confrontation, Buthelezi affirmed: 'The MEC remains undeterred and will continue to work in the best interests of the residents of the KwaZulu-Natal province.' In a statement issued by the Speaker TS Mkhombo, the municipality said the council of Umkhanyakude District Municipality has taken a position to strongly oppose the recent intervention instituted by Cogta. It said the previous intervention lasted for almost five years from February 2021 and lapsed in April this year. 'When the intervention lapsed in April 2025, the MEC misrepresented facts to the Council on the basis that the intervention had not lapsed or terminated. He wrote correspondence to that effect. Council refuted his claim in a letter addressed to the MEC. 'The Council is gravely concerned about what it perceives as a premature, unnecessary, and procedurally unfair intervention that disregards the autonomy and constitutional rights of the local government institution. 'We view this action as undermining the legitimate authority of elected councillors and the will of the electorate that placed them in office." The statement added that there was no comprehensive engagement process between Cogta and the council of Umkhanyakude before the invocation. 'Proper cooperative governance requires open dialogue, support, and mediation before imposing provincial control. 'We would have expected, as a matter of due process and good governance, that the department would engage with the council, identify the areas of concern, and allow reasonable time for internal corrective measures to be implemented. 'No formal warnings, performance audits, or technical support processes were offered to the municipality before the intervention. This makes the decision procedurally unfair and administratively excessive," said the statement by the Speaker. THE MERCURY
The Citizen
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Almost 40 municipalities facing sanctions from Treasury over mismanagement
Water boards in four provinces are owed a combined R17.7 billion while municipalities have not been paying pension fund contributions. Municipalities with poor payment records are risking a backlash from National Treasury. A letter was recently sent to Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Velenkosini Hlabisa, warning that vital payments to municipalities would be throttled should they not get their accounts in order. Almost 40 municipalities were flagged by Treasury for owing water boards billions, as well as not honouring pension fund and medical aid payments of staff. Defaulting municipalities Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana wrote to Hlabisa on 30 June, giving the Cogta minister seven days to acknowledge the treasury's demands. Godongwana threatened to invoke section 216(2) of the constitution, which would place restrictions on Local Government Equitable Share (LGES) grant payments. A total of 39 municipalities are in the finance minister's crosshairs, including eight that owe the South African Revenue Service (Sars) a combined R197.5 million. Those eight and a further 13 have unpaid third-party pension fund contributions amounting to R819.5 million. The worst offender is Kopanong Local Municipality with R330 million in unpaid pension contributions, followed by Mafube and Mohokare municipalities with R253.4 million and R147.9 million, respectively. All three fall under the Free State government, which has been accused of prioritising 'exorbitant' salaries over service delivery. 'Withholding funds from struggling municipalities is not enough. All three levels of government have a responsibility to ensure that residents' rights are protected,' stated the Freedom Front Plus' Armand Cloete. Over R17 billion owed for water Unpaid pension fund contributions were dwarfed by the amount owed by municipalities to water boards. Treasury singled out 18 municipalities from four water boards, which have a combined debt of R17.7 billion. Matjhabeng Local Municipality — also in the Free State — has amassed a bill of R8.1 billion, while Merafong and Emfuleni municipalities in Gauteng each have debts exceeding R1 billion. The municipalities must provide Godongwana with proof that the amounts will be settled or face receiving only partial LGES payments, which will be earmarked solely for the debts owed. The finance minister warned that should those conditions not be met, he would motivate to Parliament for the cessation of all LGES payments to these defaulting municipalities. Hlabisa's office did not respond to requests for additional information, but Cogta's Free State office did acknowledge questions sent by The Citizen, with that response still pending at the time of publication. NOW READ: When is the deadline to register for free basic electricity?
The Citizen
13-07-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
eThekwini rebuilds flood-damaged infrastructure after 2022 floods
The M4 and M19 corridors, once rendered impassable by the 2022 deluge, are being rebuilt as climate-resilient routes. Three years after the devastating April 2022 floods, eThekwini Municipality is not just repairing its damaged infrastructure; it's reimagining it. The city is rebuilding key roads, bridges, and stormwater systems with a focus on resilience and long-term sustainability. Director of the Disaster Management Directorate Vincent Ngubane said the recovery strategy is rooted in the global Build Back Better framework, shifting from mere restoration to long-term resilience. 'Our mission goes beyond emergency response, it's about building a City that is prepared, protected, and proactive,' Ngubane said. 'These disasters illustrate how various stakeholders can work together to enhance the resilience of eThekwini, ensuring comprehensive support for all.' Key corridors rebuilt to withstand floods The M4 and M19 corridors, once rendered impassable by the 2022 deluge, are being rebuilt as climate-resilient routes. Similarly, the flood-prone Prospection Road and uMlazi Canals are now being fortified to protect nearby homes and businesses better. Shallcross Bridge. Picture: Supplied/ eThekwini Critical bridges, including Shallcross and Coedmore, are also being reconstructed with advanced engineering techniques. 'We are not just reacting to disasters, we are anticipating them, and designing our city to withstand them,' Ngubane added. ALSO READ: Cogta warns municipalities against wasting R1.2 billion disaster relief A smarter, more proactive approach The Municipality's approach integrates early warning systems, community preparedness initiatives, and climate-smart infrastructure planning. Programmes aimed at educating communities about disaster readiness and resilient construction methods have also been launched. Chief Civil Engineer in Roads Provision, Linga Govender, said the new structures are designed with future climate risks in mind. 'These new bridges are engineered to stand the test of time and the changing climate,' Govender explained. M4 Corridor. Picture: Supplied/ eThekwini 'They represent a new era of infrastructure that is smarter, stronger, and safer.' Community participation is at the heart of the rebuilding efforts, aligning with the Municipality's belief that resilience must be a shared responsibility. Ngubane said the structures being rebuilt are not just replacements but are engineered to withstand extreme weather events and rising flood risks. NOW READ: KZN flood victims face eviction crisis as government scrambles for R128m
