Pretoria - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Pravin Gordhan has strongly condemned the chaos and intimidation that erupted at the Oudtshoorn municipal council meeting on Tuesday.
The department on Wednesday said the meeting was held for councillors to decide on a budget for the 2015/16 financial year by midnight on the day.
“The council did not pass the budget, which constitutes a violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003),” said the department.
It is believed chaos erupted after the budget was not decided upon and council members were held hostage by a group of people for two hours.
“This is the third time that the municipal council has failed to decide on the municipality’s financial plan owing to the apparent unhappiness by councillors with the municipal management and council leadership,” said COGTA.
Minister Gordhan and Local Government MEC in the Western Cape, Anton Bredell, have engaged with the municipality on the challenges facing it and also proposed a “support and good governance” package, which the municipality has failed to adopt.
“Further steps are now being considered in order to regularise the functionality of the municipality,” said the department. - SAnews.gov.za
