Municipality free of provincial govt oversight

THE KwaZulu-Natal Government has reversed its decision to place the Umkhanyakude District Municipality under administration.

- WILLEM PHUNGULA

After months of public spats and a court battle, the provincial cabinet finally agreed to withdraw the Section 139(b) intervention which it used to curtail the powers of the municipality.

Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution empowers a provincial executive to intervene in a municipality by assuming responsibility for its functions when the entity is unable to deliver on its obligations.

The withdrawal was confirmed by the provincial spokesperson Bongani Gina, who said that after the cabinet considered a new presentation by the municipality, with proof of improvements in the areas the cabinet had based its decision on, it agreed that the Section 139(b) action was no longer necessary.

The provincial government has now resorted to applying Section154 interventions to assist the municipality in financial and administrative challenges.