DA, eThekwini mayor Xaba in fierce spat as R500 million provincial government debt issue escalates
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has launched a fierce attack on eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba amid a R500 million debt owed by the provincial government.
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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has launched a stinging attack against eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba, accusing him of “cheap politicking” regarding the City's stance over the R500 million owed by the provincial Public Works and Infrastructure department for property rates.
This follows a statement issued by the mayor calling on KZN Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer to settle the debt.
The debt issue has resulted in the City disconnecting electricity and water to the KZN Transport department's licensing offices. The offices have been closed leaving motorists who need vehicle and driver's licence services frustrated.
DA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Dean Macpherson said the party “condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent statement by ANC eThekwini Mayor, Cyril Xaba who has sought to abuse council resources to politicise his failures in the city and attack Public Works MEC, Martin Meyer.”
Macpherson argued that attempts by Xaba to blame the DA and MEC Meyer for eThekwini’s state were “laughable but unsurprising.”
He added, “eThekwini is in the state it is because of Mayor Xaba and the ANC's failures to govern the city. It is why the ANC achieved only 14% in the city in the 2024 elections.”
Responding to claims that MEC Meyer’s department owes the City substantial funds, Macpherson said: “For the mayor to pretend that the MEC is the reason that billions of Rand were owed is simply cheap politicking. It is the mess left by his party… that MEC Meyer has worked hard to rectify and resolve.”
He insisted that “all failures in the city are… entirely at the foot of his and the ANC's door,” and said that after the next local government election “that problem will be solved by the DA.”
In its statement, the municipality released its own statement claiming the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure “currently owes the City over R500 million in rates, a debt it has already acknowledged.”
Xaba argued that the DA’s criticism of service delivery rang hollow while its own senior representative in government had not ensured payment of the outstanding debt.
Xaba also accused DA EXCO members of “running a misinformation campaign regarding beach water quality results” stating that the tests “are conducted by credible scientists.”
The Mayor said he had “committed myself to running a clean and transparent government” and claimed the DA was selectively using information “for cheap political point scoring.”
In a separate statement, KZN Public Works and Infrastructure said it had approached the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to declare an inter-governmental dispute regarding the matter.
“KZN Public Works and Infrastructure remains fully aware and committed to its obligation to pay the outstanding rates amounts and intends to honour this, however, it has been unfortunate that some municipalities have not engaged in good faith and in some cases have constantly moved the goal post. For instance, while the department owes eThekwini Municipality around R500 million in rates and despite attempts to have a sit-down around the table, there has been no real success.”
It added that it was hopeful that with the intervention of KZN Cogta, a solution can be found.