Just weeks after KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi endorsed moves for Msunduzi Municipality to be granted a metropolitan status, a lobby group has emerged and expressed total opposition to the move.
In recent weeks, in a bid to bolster the metro status bid there has been talk of a merger between
Proponents of the merger between Msunduzi and Richmond municipalities, believes it is a viable move, however, the political party Rise Mzansi has called it short sighted and a recipe for failure.
The party’s spokesperson Chris Maxon said:
“Rise Mzansi expresses grave concerns over the proposed merger of Msunduzi and Richmond municipalities into a metropolitan municipality. This ill-considered proposal, as outlined by the Municipal Demarcation Board at a meeting on Monday 02 December 2024 in Hilton, is not only premature but fundamentally flawed. It fails to address the deep-seated governance, financial, and service delivery crises plaguing both municipalities,” said Maxon.
He said Msunduzi Municipality is currently burdened with persistent administrative chaos, service delivery failures, and financial mismanagement, adding that Richmond Municipality was not better, as it was grappling with similar challenges and mounting public protests.
Maxon said that merging the two dysfunctional entities would compound their problems rather than resolve them.
The lobby group spokesperson insisted that instead of rushing into a merger that is doomed to fail, the focus should be on stabilizing governance, addressing critical service delivery failures, and restoring financial sustainability in both municipalities.
“The residents of Msunduzi and Richmond have endured years of deteriorating services, including irregular waste collection, unreliable water and electricity supply, and decaying infrastructure. A merger, under current conditions, will only deepen their hardships and worsen their quality of life,” he said.
Maxon said the proposal demonstrated the disconnect between decision-makers and the realities on the ground and prioritised political expediency over the needs of the people.
Part of the call to action includes:
*rejection of the merger as it is an ill-advised proposal.
*signing of petition in the campaign for sustainable, people-cantered governance.
*demand for accountability and insistence for political leaders to prioritize fixing governance and service delivery before discussing any merger.
*stabilising of both municipalities through capacity-building initiatives, improved governance, and financial reform.
*exploring viable metropolitan configurations that align with strategic development goals.
He added that the lobby group remained committed to fighting for good governance and quality services for all.
“We call on the Municipal Demarcation Board, the MEC for Cooperative Government, Thulasizwe Buthelezi (MPL), and the KZN Premier Thami Ntuli (MPL) to prioritize evidence-based solutions that improve residents' lives, and we urge all stakeholders to reject this reckless proposal,” Maxon stressed.
According to Maxon, it made more sense for Mkhambathini, Msunduzi, uMngeni and Mpofana municipalities as were all positioned along the N3 corridor. He said in their quest to get a fair deal for the people of Msunduzi and Richmond they would mobilise communities, lobby civic structures and other bodies as they believed that people’s should be put ahead of political decisions that exacerbate dysfunction.
Talk of a metro in the Midlands has always been mired in controversy with some calling for Msunduzi to go at it alone while others have called for all municipalities under uMgungundlovu District to be merged into a single metro.
Responding to the lobby group’s statement Msunduzi Mayor Mzi Thebolla dismissed suggestions that they had sought for the development of Msunduzi and Richmond only.
“As the African National Congress we proposed for the merging of all municipalities in the district to form a metro but that was rejected by the Municipal Demarcation Board, and then proposed the merging of Umgeni, Mpofana and Impendle municipalities which was again rejected,” said the mayor.
He said eThekwini had evolved over the years from the time when it had different mayors to the point when it was now a metro, adding this could be the case for the Midlands. Thebolla, who is also the ANC Moses Mabhida Region Chairperson said they would not want any part of the district to be left outside the metro process as it would be equivalent to apartheid era spatial planning.
Attempts to get comment from demarcation board’s Barileng Dichabe were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.