Political tensions rise in eThekwini as ANC mayor faces allegations from DA councillor

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

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.

He 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.

“Furthermore, the municipality reportedly has a debtors book amounting to R42 billion, with 40% tied to unpaid water accounts, all while customer billing complaints continue to go unresolved,” said Beetge.

The situation grew increasingly dire this week when contractors servicing the water and sanitation unit marched to the city’s finance offices, demanding payment for long overdue arrears.

The following day, various water depots were barricaded by contract tankers with the same frustration; the city's failure to pay its obligations.

“These incidents are not isolated; they are symptomatic of a municipality in rapid financial decline,” said Beetge.

In response, the city rebuffed the claims, insisting that it continued to fulfil its obligations to service providers where claims were legitimate and substantiated.

“In the 2024/2025 financial year, 98% of all creditors were paid within 30 days, in line with legal requirements,” said the municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana.

She elaborated on the standard operating procedures that necessitated verification of goods and services before payments were finalised. She said: “Service providers are responsible for submitting evidence to substantiate their claims.”

Sisilana urged affected contractors to collaborate with the relevant departments to resolve outstanding queries promptly.

Beyond the financial woes, Beetge suggested there may be political manoeuvring at play, linking Xaba's sudden critiques of the KZN Department of Public Works, led by MEC Martin Meyer of the DA, to the impending Motion of No Confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli in the KZN Legislature on Monday.

“It is no coincidence that political tensions are escalating,” he noted, alluding to former ANC members now aligning with the MK party.

In turn, ANC regional official Thinta Cibane defended the party's position by characterising Beetge’s comments as little more than political grandstanding aimed at appeasing his principals.

“What is interesting is how the DA constantly moans about accountability in the use of public funds, yet when the municipality implements more stringent measures to ensure that contractors are paid only for work that has actually been done, they are the first to scream 'delay' for cheap political point-scoring,” Cibane argued.

DAILY NEWS