DA's withdrawal confirms ActionSA's fears – politicking at expense of ratepayers

THE DA's sudden decision to abandon its court application seeking to interdict the appointment of three executive directors in the eThekwini Municipality has confirmed what ActionSA cautioned from the very beginning that this was never about clean governance, but about politics.

- ZWAKELE MNCWANGO

ZWAKHELE Mncwango says litigation against the eThekwini Municipality should be the last resort. FILE

Last week, when the DA rushed to court claiming irregularities in the recruitment and appointment process - it did so after fully participating in both the Executive Committee (EXCO) and council meetings without raising a single procedural concern.

Not once did it warn council that the process might be flawed, unlawful or worthy of litigation. Only now, when required to argue its case before a judge, the party has quietly withdrawn. This leads to an unavoidable conclusion the DA's case was never solid. Its intention was political, not principled.

A wasteful political stunt: This development vindicates ActionSA's earlier concerns about the DA's motives. Its withdrawal demonstrates that this was nothing more than a political stunt - one that came at a direct cost to the people of eThekwini. Municipalities do not go to court for free. Every hour spent preparing responding papers, consulting legal teams, and defending council decisions is paid for by ratepayers.