eThekwini Municipality refutes claims of returning unspent grant

The eThekwini Municipality has refuted claims that the city must return the unspent conditional grants worth R1.5 billion to National Treasury. Municipal Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says the city has rather, applied for the grant to be rolled over to the next financial year as it was impossible to spend the money on 700 projects within a period of three-months. The decision not to spend the money by the city has raised concern from opposition parties.

eThekwini Municipality is at pains trying to explain the reasons it failed to spend the money while it battles with extensive damage on infrastructure that’s still not yet fixed.

They received the conditional grants from National Treasury in March this year. The grant was earmarked for the repairs of the infrastructure damaged by the devastating floods last year. The money injected by National Treasury meant to help the city rebuild its infrastructure is now a subject of public scrutiny.

EThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda shares their version of events surrounding the grants.

“It is important to indicate that the municipality has not forfeited any grants to National Treasury. In fact, what we have done is that we have applied to National Treasury for the rollover of unspent conditional grants of R1.8 billion of which R1.5 billion relate to the municipal disaster recovery grant. Importantly the R1.5 billion was only received in March 2023, three months before the end of our financial year, in terms of the grants framework the municipality has 12 months to spend the grants therefore it was impossible for the municipality to complete SCM processes of more than 700 projects that are worth R1.5 billion within three months,” Kaunda explains.

Meanwhile, some ratepayer organisations have decided to boycott paying rates, venting their dissatisfactions about services they are getting from the municipality. However, Kaunda has urged residents to pay for services.

“You will recall that Westville Rates Payers’ Association embarked on a rates boycott in addition they took the eThekwini Municipality to court to seek an interdict to prevent the city from disconnecting municipal services in their homes. Last week the Durban High court handed down the judgment and dismissed the Westville Rates Payers’ Association case with costs. The judgment paved the way for the city to ensure that residents who are supporting the rates boycott pay for their services including penalties, interests and reconnection fees. We also want to state that where residents who were disconnected are found to have illegally connected the meter will be removed,” Kaunda added.

Some shops at the Durban beachfront and some pools remains closed. This does not bode well with beachgoers and visitors.

“This is bad and it is not right for the beach to look this bad. There is nothing to entertain us anymore as we used to before. We used to bring kids to enjoy the pools here but you can’t anymore, some pools are closed,” says resident Fika Shandu.

“The situation is bad, the pools are not working of which it affects so many people. Others travel from afar to visit Durban, others bring learners, they are forced to go to the sea which might endanger the kids’ lives as they might drown. Also, the shops nearby are closed the buildings as well might end up being used by criminals,” says another resident, Lindokuhle Ziqubu.

However, the municipality says these facilities are undergoing repairs. Municipal Manager Musa Mbhele says swimming pools will be opened in December.

“But what we have decided to do that those that are unsightly and dilapidated, we have taken a decision to say we are going to fix these facilities so that people don’t get a view of the beach that is degenerating while we are going to appoint people who are going to operate there in terms of the swimming pools. We can safely confirm here the Lagoona swimming pool is ready to be opened,” says Mbhele.

The city says they will continue conducting weekly joint water quality tests with independent laboratories. This is to enable credible comparisons of E.coli test results, in the interests of transparency and public safety.