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A recent court judgment finding that the mayor of the OR Tambo District Municipality unlawfully appointed an Acting Municipal Manager, yet again highlights the urgent need for intervention in the administration of this municipality.

On Friday, 18 June 2021, the Mthatha High Court found that the appointment of the Acting Municipal Manager was unlawful and ordered the mayor to pay the legal costs in her personal capacity.

An Acting Municipal Manager was appointed by council, but during a council meeting held on 5 March 2021, it came to light that the mayor had set aside this appointment and appointed an Acting Municipal Manager of her choice.

Following this, the DA sponsored a motion requesting that an ad hoc committee be established to investigate the conduct of the mayor. Council found in favour of the DA’s motion and resolved that the committee be established.

The committee sat on 17 June 2021, but the mayor stated that she could not answer any questions as the matter was still sub judice.

Now that judgment has been made, the DA will write to the chairperson of the ad hoc committee to request that the committee convene as soon as possible to question the mayor regarding her conduct.

We have also written to DA EC Shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Vicky Knoetze, MPL, asking her to request that the MEC for CoGTA, Xolile Nqatha, invoke section 139 of the Constitution in the OR Tambo District Municipality.

This provision empowers a provincial executive to intervene in the affairs of a municipality that cannot or does not fulfil an executive or legislative function in terms of the Constitution

The DA will continue the fight to ensure that political office bearers and municipal officials are held accountable for any unlawful or corrupt activities.

The time for change is now. The DA gets things done and the people of the OR Tambo district have the power to bring about the change so desperately needed by registering to vote on 17 and 18 July 2021, and by voting for the DA during the local government elections on 27 October 2021.

Issue by DA