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Premier Oscar Mabuyane must immediately intervene and address the problems in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality, which is on the brink of collapse under an inept and corrupt administration.

Yesterday violent service delivery protests flared up again, with residents cutting off all access to Cradock.

Late last year service protests in Cradock and Middelburg claimed the lives of two people, saw several vehicles set alight and caused millions of rands in damages.

The Premier can no longer afford to ignore the situation, as he has been doing for months.

The unhappiness from the community stems from various allegations of corruption, maladministration and service delivery failures by the Inxuba Yethemba Municipal Council. Basic service delivery in this municipality has become almost non-existent as the administration continuous to grapple with serious financial difficulties.

The municipality owes Eskom over R190 million, more than half of its total annual budget.

The situation is being exacerbated by an inexperienced City Manager, Mkhululi Mbebe, who is facing charges of stock theft, and the Chief Financial Officer, Lucky Mulaudzi, who was unlawfully appointed by the IYM council but remains in office.

While the MEC for CoGTA, Xolile Nqatha, has sent a team to lead an investigation into the allegations made by the community of IYM, it is highly unlikely that this investigation will bear fruit, as those implicated in the alleged maladministration and /or corruption are the same individuals providing the team with information.

I have again written to the Premier, to ask that he intervenes and seconds a competent municipal manager to the municipality.

The provincial government can no longer ignore the plight of residents in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality, who continue to suffer under a corrupt, dysfunctional and inept administration.

Issued by DA