Durban - Council that speak “ill” of the eThekwini Municipality in public are facing the ire of mayor Mxolisi Kaunda who says they are embarrassing the City and undermining it in the eyes of investors and tourists.
Speaking at an exco meeting this week, Kaunda accused some councillors of being blind to all that is positive in the municipality, and of being determined to see it being placed under administration.
To clamp down on this “negativity”, Kaunda has ordered that councillors should no longer be allowed to perform oversight functions at municipal infrastructure sites without the approval of city manager Musa Mbhele.
Opposition parties yesterday said they viewed Kaunda’s statement as a “gag order” and an attempt to curtail their oversight responsibilities.
Kaunda was annoyed by councillors who visited municipal infrastructure sites, especially damaged or malfunctioning ones, took pictures and distributed that information to the media.
The DA and ActionSA, which have taken the municipality to court over its performance, especially that of its water and sanitation unit, were the main source of Kaunda’s frustrations.
“Acting city manager,” said Kaunda to Sipho Cele, who was acting in the place of Musa Mbhele, “we must beef up the security around our infrastructure. We cannot have a situation whereby councillors simply go to the site and take pictures of our infrastructure and send it to the media.
“We cannot have councillors going to these sites without the permission of the city manager,” said Kaunda, demanding that a directive should be given to security officials at these sites to block access to those entering without permission.
Kaunda said it was improper that councillors in the opposition sought to publicly destroy the municipality.
“We have been to other countries. In those countries you never see the opposition going to television screens to tell the viewer that ‘do not come here, we are dirty’, you never see that,” he fumed.
“We have even been in touch with our ANC colleagues in Cape Town to ask them why they’re not giving the DA there a hard time as it is doing here, and their response has been they do not want to get involved in such, pointing out that Cape Town is a tourist city and they will not do things that will undermine that in the eyes of the public,” the mayor said.
Kaunda also took issue with councillors who spoke publicly on City matters, saying they were “speaking without correct information”.
Head of legal in eThekwini, Malusi Mhlongo, also raised concerns, pointing out the complicated relationship between the City and some opposition parties.
He said it was difficult for officials to perform their tasks and account to councillors because the information could be used against the City, to take it to court.
DA councillor Yogis Govender said the directive by Kaunda was a “gag order” on opposition party councillors.
She said that after the DA questioned the mayor on the City’s numerous failures “the mayor retaliated by threatening opposition councillors with a gag order and instructing the speaker to charge councillors who speak on public platforms, allegedly misleading the public.
“He went a step further and directed the city manager to give notice to security companies and officials to outright refuse entry to councillors who wish to visit municipal infrastructure to conduct oversight. Municipal infrastructure such as sewage pump stations, treatment plants, and major spillages will fall under this ambit.
“The DA condemns the threats from the mayor, which is nothing more than an attempt to block exposés on the colossal failures of eThekwini Municipality under his watch, from being published,” said Govender.
ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango slammed the mayor’s directive. He questioned how councillors would be able to perform their oversight functions if the instruction was carried out.
“If you tell councillors not to do oversight, then what is the role of the councillors, he (Kaunda) may as well tell them to stay home.”