The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal is calling for eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to resign over the city’s unspent conditional grant worth R1.5 billion which must be returned to National Treasury.
The funds were earmarked for infrastructure. Th eThekwini Metro has been under pressure from opposition parties demanding answers as to why the city failed to spend the grant amid infrastructure challenges due to last year’s deadly floods.
IFP KwaZulu-Natal chair Thami Ntuli says they are giving Kaunda seven days to vacate his position.
“EThekwini Municipality failure to utilise over one billion for service delivery, the IFP condemns the ANC- led eThekwini Municipality for failing to prioritise the residents of eThekwini neglecting to effectively allocate a substantial sum of R1.2 billion intended for service delivery. This grant which is now to be returned to the Treasury was originally designated for critical infrastructure projects. The city is deteriorating therefore the IFP calls on the Mayor of eThekwini Mxolisi Kaunda to resign. Should the mayor refuse to step down within seven days, the IFP in eThekwini caucus will file a motion of no confidence.”
Ntuli also called for KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mbali Frazer to resign over what the party calls the failure to effectively manage her department.
“The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal is deeply concerned about the terrible state of the Department of Education and the adverse impact it has on the performance of both teachers and learners. It is evident to all that MEC Frazer has in no uncertainty failed in her responsibilities to oversee the department. The situation had deteriorated further encompassing issues such as schools not receiving their allocated budget from government, the IFP calls on the Premier to promptly release MEC Frazer off her duties due to her inabilities to effectively manage the department. ”
The eThekwini Municipality however has refuted claims that the city must return the unspent conditional grants worth R1.5 billion to National Treasury.
Kaunda says the city has rather, applied for the grant to be rolled over to the next financial year as it was impossible to spend the money on 700 projects within a period of three-months.
“It is important to indicate that the municipality has not forfeited any grants to National Treasury. In fact what we have done is that we have applied to National Treasury for the rollover of unspent conditional grants of R1.8 billion of which R1.5 billion relate to the municipal disaster recovery grant. Importantly the R1.5 billion was only received in March 2023, three months before the end of our financial year. In terms of the grants framework, the municipality has 12 months to spend the grants therefore it was impossible for the municipality to complete SCM processes of more than 700 projects that are worth R1.5 billion within three months.”
Meanwhile, the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal is to host the memorial service of its late founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu this weekend.
Buthelezi died in September.
