Msunduzi ratepayers call for a collaborative forum to combat corruption and improve service delivery

Msunduzi ratepayers proposed a forum of all stakeholders be established which would look at practical ways of turning the city around and possibly push for a forensic investigation to uncover corruption.

A delegation from the Msunduzi Association of Residents Ratepayers and Civics (MARRC) met with Ravi Pillay, chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Msunduzi Working Group (PMWG) at the Premier’s office on Tuesday.

Premier Thami Ntuli established the Premier’s Msunduzi Working Group (PMWG), chaired by governance expert Pillay who is also the former MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. The group has been tasked to turn around the crumbling infrastructure and alleged shoddy service delivery in the municipality.

Anthony Waldhausen, chief executive of MARRC said it was an introductory meeting with the civil society sector and Pillay who is meeting with all stakeholders in Pietermaritzburg to brief them on the PMWG.

Waldhausen explained that Pillay covered the background, purpose and the terms of reference of PMWG and that they formally started work on March 1, 2025. Waldhausen said that Pillay provided information on the legal framework and that the PMWG is to provide support and strengthen the capacity of the Msunduzi municipality.

The PMWG scope of work will be driven through several workstreams to address the six focus areas.

Pillay mentioned that they have 12 months to work on six focus areas, which include governance, financial sustainability, water and sanitation, safety and security, electricity, and roads," Waldhausen said.

Waldhausen said that MARRC delegates spoke to the issues and challenges within the Msunduzi municipality, and they emphasised that MARRC is here to work with the working group through the workstreams and that they are solution-driven

Waldhausen said they support Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the MEC of Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) decision to launch a Section 106 forensic investigation into the municipality.

Waldhausen said that MARRC has been calling for a forensic investigation into the Msunduzi municipality for some time and that they were willing to work with the investigating team as well.

“MARRC is committed to supporting the working group. We will work through the workstreams to provide solutions that we have been advocating since we established MARRC. We also call on the political leadership at council to support the forensic investigation as it would uncover the corruption, maladministration, wasteful and irregular expenditure. We are looking forward to working with all stakeholders to hopefully turn this city around for the better for its residents,” Waldhausen said.

Ntuli said his approach to the turnaround strategy for the province’s capital city was similar to the Presidential eThekwini Working Group, which President Cyril Ramaphosa launched early last year in the eThekwini Municipality.

Ntuli said the working group will aim to strengthen the provincial government’s support for Msunduzi. Msunduzi had been under Section 154 intervention until last year. 

Section 154 of the Constitution allows provincial governments to provide administrative support to struggling municipalities. Pillay will co-chair the team with provincial government director-general Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize.

Other working group members include provincial finance head Carol Coetzee, provincial Cogta head Dr Joey Krishnan, Public Works and Infrastructure acting head Dr Vish Govender, Human Settlements head Max Mbili, Madoda Khathide, local government deputy director general, and Farhad Cassimjee, Chief Director responsible for municipal finance at the provincial treasury.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za