Speaker, the recent water crisis in Grahamstown saw residents, students and scholars going without water for at least 10 days. I am sorry to report that their water woes continue, with frequent outages for extended periods of time. But that is only part of what I wish to talk about. Last week, municipal workers of Makana Municipality - where Grahamstown is situated - were supposed to have their monthly salaries paid into their accounts. This did not occur because the municipality had run out of money. For the past few months money has been spent on unnecessary and unbudgeted activities. Worse still is the fact that grant funds meant for capital expenditure had been used to finance operational spending. These funds are now also depleted. Service delivery will have to take a back seat while finance staff scratch around every month just to pay salaries.
The current situation was only rescued when Rhodes University paid its municipal service bill in advance in order to assist the municipality, although some staff had still not been paid.
The municipal manager, who was appointed in April, refuses to sign a contract or performance agreement as, subsequent to his appointment, he received a better offer. However, he continues to operate with impunity. He is propped up by a mayor and a council that appear unwilling take the firm steps necessary to ensure that Makana Municipality is put back on a sound financial footing.
The DA calls on the Minister to launch an urgent investigation into the mismanagement of the Makana Municipality and, if necessary, to place it under provincial administration. Thank you. [Applause.]