Deputy Speaker, I want to thank hon Hlengwa for his statement on Jozini Municipality. He has raised very worrying things in his statement.
I think the hon Hlengwa, as a member of the Portfolio Committee on Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, would be very well aware of our Back to Basics programme, and that we have identified the fact that about one third of our municipalities are in trouble and are dysfunctional. He would also be familiar with the steps that we are taking to intervene and solve those problems. [Interjections.]
I am very glad that he has raised the issue of Jozini because, in fact, the issues that he has raised in his statement were uncovered as a result of a forensic investigation that was commissioned by the MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, MEC Dube-Mncube. That forensic investigation unearthed a number of very, very serious irregularities in Jozini Municipality.
What does the MEC say? The MEC says that these findings are proof that this investigation was conducted without fear or favour, and our appeal is now to the Jozini council to consider the report and action the recommendations within 21 days in a process that we at the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs will observe closely.
I think, as hon Hlengwa would know, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs in KZN does, in fact, observe very closely. This is evidenced by the fact that last year and this year there have been a number of section 1 interventions in terms of section 139(1)(c) of the Constitution, where the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs in the KZN province has stepped in and dissolved municipalities where they have not discharged their executive responsibilities in terms of the Constitution. The latest such intervention was in Mtubatuba Local Municipality.
So we thank you very much for your statement. We will certainly be working with our colleagues in the province to make sure that this report is actioned. [Time expired.]
