Cracks have emerged in ANC led councils over a move by the uMgungundlovu district to be accorded a metro status.
If the plan sees the light of day, KwaZulu-Natal will have two metros, eThekwini metro being the other.
The uMgungundlovu district municipality led by mayor Mzi Zuma, initiated the plan to become a metro in 2016 but the Municipal Demarcation Board (MBD), which determines municipal boundaries, turned down the application.
ANC vs ANC
Zuma backed by his council wanted three predominantly rural municipalities Impendle, uMngeni, Mooi-Mpofana amalgamated to form a metro.
Now a new application has been lodged but this time it is the two ANC-led councils of Umsunduzi and Richmond mooted for the merger. The application is currently being considered by the MBD.
But while the ANC’s Mzimkhulu Thebolla, the mayor of Umsunduzi, told Sunday World that his council would back the proposal, his counterpart in uMgungundlovu district Mziwethemba Zuma said they will reject any move that sidelines other municipalities in the proposed metro.
“As Umsunduzi, we took a decision that we will support any plan that will see us becoming a metro. It will change our fortunes in a big scale,” Thebolla told Sunday World.
uMgungundlovu wants to be included
Zuma said though his district made the application in 2016, it would not support this new application.
“The new resolution of council was that the metro must incorporate all seven local municipalities. But we rescinded that application so that we can work on the technical aspects raised by the MBD. We will consider making another application after the 2026 local government elections,” he said.
Zuma said that the Richmond and Umsunduzi merger doesn’t have the support and blessing of the district.
“We will be engaging our local municipalities to say that we will not support this new application,” said Zuma.
KZN supports new application
The process of declaring an area a metropolitan municipality (metro) is governed by the Municipal Structures Act, which outlines the criteria for areas that require integrated governance due to their large populations and economic significance.
But the proposal received a major boost when the KZN department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) confirmed that it had sent the MDB a letter in support of the proposal.
“We believe that this will unlock more resources from the national government for improving infrastructure and services. Once a metro is achieved, there will be a massive turnaround in terms of service delivery and finances,” said Cogta MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
Decision expected before local elections
Umsunduzi local municipality covers mainly the town of Pietermaritzburg, the capital city of KwaZulu-Natal, surrounding affluent suburbs and townships. On the other hand, Richmond is predominantly a rural municipality known for timber plantations, its major economic driver.
The MBD, which is reviewing the proposal, is expected to announce its decision before the local government elections less than two years away.
