The Municipality of eThekwini has filed a motion to appeal the High Court order addressing its sewage crisis. The appeal has exposed the municipal leadership as having little interest in repairing the failing infrastructure within its jurisdiction. The Pietermaritzburg High Court had ordered the Municipality to develop an action plan, with clear deadlines, to repair and maintain the city’s sewage system.
eThekwini was also ordered to publish weekly E.coli readings for all public beaches on its website, social media platforms and public notice boards. ActionSA’s Michael Beaumont has described the appeal as a shameless move by the city. He says the focus should be on fixing ageing and under-maintained infrastructure rather than challenging the ruling. “Through this appeal being filed, the city sends the message that it has no interest in fixing the problem of chronic infrastructure under-investment it created, and that residents must make peace with their rivers, lagoons, and beaches overflowing with untreated sewage. “ActionSA notes this shameless move by the City of eThekwini, and vows to not let the municipality get away with trying to appeal the judgment.
“The residents of eThekwini deserve better leaders. They deserve leaders that won’t desperately plead with courts to overturn a ruling forcing them to do their job.” ActionSA, which is one of the parties that took the city to court over the sewage crisis, says it will oppose the appeal.
The local leadership of eThekwini is on a course of callousness, showing little regard for establishing the values of transparency and accountability within its institutions. The governing African National Congress (ANC) has grown increasingly aloof since assuming power in the municipality. Local elections are scheduled for this year, and it remains to be seen whether the ANC can retain its majority of seats in the eThekwini council.
It is the responsibility of the municipal leadership to repair and upgrade damaged and outdated infrastructure. If the council fails to perform its duties as required, it may be time for a changing of the guard. The opposition party, ActionSA, is striving to establish a governance system that is more accountable and transparent.
Neglect of civic duties at the municipal level can lead to widespread disapproval of the local government and the region as a whole. Such negligence can damage the city’s reputation, and in the case of a coastal city like Durban, diminish its popularity as a tourism destination.
ActionSA’s court victory in the Pietermaritzburg High Court was a landmark judgement in a country where more and more municipalities are violating the constitutional rights of South Africans to a clean environment and one that is not harmful to their health as sewage infrastructure collapses around the country. Any municipality with respect for the constitution would have respected the court judgement and focussed their energies on fixing the problems.
As the political year progresses toward the next election, the focus should be on who can deliver a new era, not on those insistent on continuing with the current status quo. South Africa’s local regions and their administrations have an opportunity to improve the country’s economy and prosperity by repairing the negligence and damage caused by previous municipal administrations. This is a moment of change, and it will depend not only on voters but also on political parties such as ActionSA to determine how best to utilize the opportunity.
This is the time for reform and renewal.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
