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The Democratic Alliance (DA) rejects the findings contained in a governmental report into the collapsing state of government in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM).

The report whitewashes the failings of the ANC-led government and does not provide any concrete solutions to the issues that residents face on a daily basis.

The recently released report follows after Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, ordered an investigation into the IYM administration in terms of section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act.

A section 106 investigation follows if an MEC has reason to believe that a municipality cannot or does not fulfil its binding statutory obligations or that maladministration, fraud, corruption or any other serious malpractice has occurred.

But, instead of tackling the problems head on, the report mostly suggests that no further action should be taken, or refers action steps to the very same politicians or officials that have proven themselves to be incompetent and incapable.

MEC Nqatha clearly cares little for the long-suffering residents of IYM and will rather protect the ANC deployed cadres than save the Municipality from total collapse.

Residents still have sewage flowing in the streets next to their houses and places of business, massive potholes in the streets, rubbish not being collected and constant water and electricity outages. The Municipality is in financial ruin and owes Eskom a staggering almost R200 million.

Residents are at their wits end, while the MEC plays politics by protecting his ANC cadres.

The DA has previously written to Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane to urgently intervene and second a suitably qualified Municipal Manager to IYM under a Section 154 Constitutional Support Program, but after the release of this report, it has become clear that the ANC-led provincial government has no interest in providing any solutions to address the oppression of our people.

I will now write to the Office of the Public Protector and the Hawks to launch urgent investigations into corruption, maladministration and nepotism in this Municipality.

The people of IYM deserve better, and therefore the DA will continue to fight for a just, caring and competent administration.

Issued by The DA