SINCE 2017, Enoch Mgijima’s (EM) outstanding debt to Eskom has ballooned from R40 million to an astounding R340 million. Eskom has now given the municipality notice that it will be cutting he power supply to EM as from November 15.
When Vuyo Mlokothi as administrator of EM, conducted a thorough investigation, he produced a detailed financial turnaround plan. As can be expected, the plan required some significant changes in operational structure and management and a radical change in governance.
His efforts were sabotaged by both the council and the municipal staff and he was effectively run out of town with no support from the province.
The municipality, whose financial position was deteriorating on a monthly basis, instead of appointing a turnaround specialist to save it from bankruptcy, chose to appoint, with, we understand, support from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), a municipal manager, with serious questions about both her management abilities and with allegations of corruption hanging over her.
To anyone in business, this would be considered to be tantamount to financial suicide. This decision was never in the best interests of the citizens of Komani. The financial position of the municipality is being further aggravated as national Treasury will not release funding to municipalities that do not have sound governance.
Many organisations and groupings in Komani and the outlying districts have on-going disputes or court actions against the municipality.
The formation of “Let’s Talk”, an apex body representing 27 non-governmental forums, associations, councils, chambers and non profit companies, has given all these grouping a collective platform to consolidate their power base and ensure effective and coordinated actions to fast track meaningful change.
We have approached the Premier’s office on numerous occasions in an attempt to enlist province’s support for what we considered to be the only logical and constitutionally compliant next step, which is invoking sect 139 (c) and 154 of the Constitution.
Despite our repeated communication with the Premier’s office, all our approaches have been ignored, despite the seriousness of our intended actions. At a meeting convened by the premier on the 16th October in the Indoor Sports Centre many of us put questions to the premier and his entourage. The poor public address system made everyone’s voices inaudible. The premier spoke only isiXhosa and the meeting ran way over schedule. The premier did not articulate why Section 139 (c) should not be invoked. It has become clear to all of us that the premier has no intention of consulting us or sharing his plan to remedying the dire situation at EM. It is clear he is not assisting.
Let’s Talk welcomes the participation of any and all non-governmental forums, associations, councils, chambers and non profit companies to join our efforts for meaningful change.
We all need to understand that the next steps will entail approaching the courts to force government to fulfil its constitutional obligations. If we all stand together we can build a better future.
Ken Clark (Chair of Let’s Talk Komani)
