Gordhan to meet 'embattled' Makana Municipality on Thursday

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Pravin Gordhan, will be in Grahamstown on Thursday to meet the 'embattled' Makana Municipality.

A Department spokesperson said that the Minister's visit forms part of the andate to visit municipalities across the country as part of his Outreach Programme.

The Makana Municipality has been in the spotlight following calls for it to be placed under administration in terms of Section 139 (1) of the Constitution.

The calls came this week from the Rhodes University-based Public Service Accountability Monitor and the Unemployed Peoples Movement.

They held a march in Grahamstown on Wednesday where an open letter, calling for urgent intervention in the Makana Municipality, was presented to mayor Zamuxolo Peter.

Jay Kruuse of the Public Service Accountability Monitor says communities from across the City of Saints marched down Raglan Road to City Hall.

He says Mayor Peter told the crowd that the Municipality takes their concerns seriously.

Kruuse says they will be meeting with the Municipality again next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape cabinet met on Wednesday where the superintendent general for the Department of Cooperative Governance, Stanley Khanyile, reportedly gave a presentation on the Makana Municipality.

On Tuesday, MEC, Fikile Xasa, said that "something drastic had to be done about the Makana Municipality" which has been plauged by service delivery and governance issues.

Xasa met the mayors and senior officials from 15 Eastern Cape Municipalities that had received audit disclaimers and adverse audit results in the latest reports from Auditor General, Kimi Mawketu.