The financial implications of moving Matatiele from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal were among the concerns raised by residents with MPLs yesterday.
Residents of Harry Gwala District Municipality in Kokstad voiced their issues to members of an ad hoc committee from the KZN legislature during public hearings.
Most of the people who attended the hearing said they were pleased at the possibility of Matatiele being incorporated back into KZN.
Kokstad resident Malibongwe Potwana told the MPLs that Matatiele should have never been incorporated into the Eastern Cape in the first place.
“It was due to politics and despite the people of Matatiele protesting the move.
“The whole process resulted in huge wasteful expenditure but because of cheap politics, they pushed ahead.
“Huge monies will be wasted even now to bring it back,” he said.
Questions of financial implications that were asked included:
lWill the government pour more money into the coffers of KZN once the process has been completed?
lWill Matatiele be incorporated into the Greater Kokstad municipality? and
lWhat will the impact be on the municipality’s already strained resources?
Samkelo Nondize, a youth council member in the Greater Kokstad municipal area, said that the process of placing Matatiele under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Cape in 2006 had been done without consulting residents.
He said the youth were hoping the matter of transferring Matatiele back to KwaZulu-Natal could be finalised before next year’s general elections, and that the area had regressed under the Eastern Cape government.
Nyameko Mhlongo complained that the services and resources of Harry Gwala district municipality were already being overstretched.
“Which means more money should be poured into the coffers of the district municipality. The overnment and Treasury must be prepared to resource this initiative.”
Cerdaville Farmers’ Association member Michael Hayward said famers also supported the move to incorporate Matatiele into KZN.
Cerdaville is an area that lies between Kokstad and Matatiele, which could make things difficult and complicated for its residents administratively.
This included opening criminal cases against some of their employees who come from Matatiele, as Cerdaville belongs to KZN.
Griqua Traditional Council chairman Gabriel Marais, however, told the committee that he stayed on a farm where one side belonged to the Eastern Cape and the other half was under KZN.
He said he had been able to get houses, solar systems and other resources from the Eastern Cape, but was yet to receive any help from KZN since 1994.
“It’s not true that no service delivery has been forthcoming in Matatiele from the Eastern Cape government.”
He also argued that both Matatiele and Kokstad’s economies relied on the spending power of the people from the Eastern Cape.
The chairman of the committee, Sipho Gcabashe, said they were hoping to hold a public consultation in Matatiele together with the Eastern Cape government, but the latter had not indicated when it would hold theirs.
The Daily Dispatch reported on Monday that both the Eastern Cape government and the provincial ANC structure had questioned the terms of the coalition agreement made by their national structures relating to Matatiele after the 2016 local government elections. They argued that reasons for Matatiele to be incorporated in KZN were not convincing.
The paper has previously reported that in return for helping the ANC stay in power in the Ekurhuleni Metro, the African Independent Congress (AIC) had asked for Matatiele to be moved back into KZN.
AIC president Mandla Galo said he was happy with the progress made so far. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Matatiele move to KZN under spotlight
Residents of Harry Gwala District Municipality in Kokstad voiced their issues to members of an ad hoc committee from the KZN legislature during public hearings.
Most of the people who attended the hearing said they were pleased at the possibility of Matatiele being incorporated back into KZN.
Kokstad resident Malibongwe Potwana told the MPLs that Matatiele should have never been incorporated into the Eastern Cape in the first place.
“It was due to politics and despite the people of Matatiele protesting the move.
“The whole process resulted in huge wasteful expenditure but because of cheap politics, they pushed ahead.
“Huge monies will be wasted even now to bring it back,” he said.
Questions of financial implications that were asked included:
lWill the government pour more money into the coffers of KZN once the process has been completed?
lWill Matatiele be incorporated into the Greater Kokstad municipality? and
lWhat will the impact be on the municipality’s already strained resources?
Samkelo Nondize, a youth council member in the Greater Kokstad municipal area, said that the process of placing Matatiele under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Cape in 2006 had been done without consulting residents.
He said the youth were hoping the matter of transferring Matatiele back to KwaZulu-Natal could be finalised before next year’s general elections, and that the area had regressed under the Eastern Cape government.
Nyameko Mhlongo complained that the services and resources of Harry Gwala district municipality were already being overstretched.
“Which means more money should be poured into the coffers of the district municipality. The overnment and Treasury must be prepared to resource this initiative.”
Cerdaville Farmers’ Association member Michael Hayward said famers also supported the move to incorporate Matatiele into KZN.
Cerdaville is an area that lies between Kokstad and Matatiele, which could make things difficult and complicated for its residents administratively.
This included opening criminal cases against some of their employees who come from Matatiele, as Cerdaville belongs to KZN.
Griqua Traditional Council chairman Gabriel Marais, however, told the committee that he stayed on a farm where one side belonged to the Eastern Cape and the other half was under KZN.
He said he had been able to get houses, solar systems and other resources from the Eastern Cape, but was yet to receive any help from KZN since 1994.
“It’s not true that no service delivery has been forthcoming in Matatiele from the Eastern Cape government.”
He also argued that both Matatiele and Kokstad’s economies relied on the spending power of the people from the Eastern Cape.
The chairman of the committee, Sipho Gcabashe, said they were hoping to hold a public consultation in Matatiele together with the Eastern Cape government, but the latter had not indicated when it would hold theirs.
The Daily Dispatch reported on Monday that both the Eastern Cape government and the provincial ANC structure had questioned the terms of the coalition agreement made by their national structures relating to Matatiele after the 2016 local government elections. They argued that reasons for Matatiele to be incorporated in KZN were not convincing.
The paper has previously reported that in return for helping the ANC stay in power in the Ekurhuleni Metro, the African Independent Congress (AIC) had asked for Matatiele to be moved back into KZN.
AIC president Mandla Galo said he was happy with the progress made so far. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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