Durban - Local government in KwaZulu-Natal is in desperate need of leadership and there is hope that Bongi Sithole-Moloi, who was unveiled on Tuesday as the new Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, will come to the fore and steer municipalities out of the difficult position that many find themselves in.
This was the view of the IFP and South African Local Government Association (Salga).
However, the DA has already predicted doom and gloom for local government in the province, saying that the new MEC’s past performance did not inspire confidence.
Salga KZN chairperson Thami Ntuli said they were hoping for greater co-operation with the new MEC, who was described as an engaging leader.
“The fact is that many municipalities are struggling at the moment and need all the support they can get from other levels of government. We hope that the MEC will rise to the occasion and provide the kind of help needed,” said Ntuli. The Salga chairperson said they were encouraged by how Sithole-Moloi had interacted with traditional leaders in her previous stint as Agriculture and Rural Development MEC.
“We hope that when she has programmes that she is rolling out she will be mindful of the rural areas, and engage Amakhosi in the process because traditional leadership is an important structure.
“If there is co-operation, certainly a lot of ground will be covered,” Ntuli said.
He added that local government remained under-resourced with many of the municipalities unable to provide services because of this.
DA leader Francois Rodgers said they were not expecting much from the MEC, stressing that her previous involvement in local government raised questions about her leadership qualities.
“We know that she has been at the coalface of local government as a mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality, and she failed. Cogta, which is responsible for local government and ultimately service delivery to the people, has never
been in a worse state,” said the DA leader.
He reiterated their call for stability and capable leaders.
“When you have a broken bus and keep changing drivers it is unreasonable to expect that the bus will move at all,” Rodgers continued.
IFP spokesperson on local government Otto Kunene said they welcomed Sithole-Moloi’s appointment, but warned that they would fulfil their oversight role.
“We are aware of her past as a mayor and hope that she learned her lessons out of the experience. Truth be told this is a massive task that is before her, and she will need all the experience and know-how to assist the many municipalities that are battling right now,” said Kunene.
He added that they had been encouraged by her sense of engagement in her previous stint as an MEC.
South African Municipal Workers Union KZN secretary Nokubonga Dinga said they were still going to discuss the MEC’s appointment when they met next week.