Tensions rise as mayor faces allegations from DA councillor

POLITICAL tensions are reaching a boiling point in the eThekwini municipality, as ANC Mayor Cyril Xaba and DA Councillor Andre Beetge engaged in a fierce exchange of allegations surrounding the city’s governance and financial crisis.

- SIPHO JACK [e-mail]

Beetge accused Xaba of neglecting his duties as mayor and suggested that he was focusing on theatrics rather than addressing the pressing issues at hand.

“The mayor's spectacle appears to be less about governance and more about distracting the public from the real crisis gripping the city,” Beetge declared.

Beetge spoke about a series of recent events that he believed illustrated Xaba’s failure to govern effectively.

With tensions simmering, Beetge pointed to the city’s failing financial system, which he claimed was deteriorating at an alarming rate.

“eThekwini’s cash on hand has dropped to just 14 days, which is a devastatingly low figure for a metro that should maintain reserves of at least 1 to 3 months,” he said.