The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the resignation of the Mayor of uMhlathuze, Mduduzi Mhlongo following his inaction amid rolling blackouts in the city, SurgeZirc SA reports.
According to a statement issued by the Democratic Alliance (DA) chapter in uMhlathuze on Sunday, the party said the city of uMhlathuze has been subjected to continuous and rolling blackouts.
“Since the early hours of this morning, parts of our city have been in total darkness and once again we are without electricity.
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“Residents and business owners are at breaking point as damage to electrical appliances, loss of perishable foods, downtime in manufacturing, and loss of trade is escalating week-after-week. The local economy is under threat and financially overstretched residents can’t absorb more damage and losses.” the DA said.
The DA further stressed that the municipality’s current predicament is due to the lack of adequate maintenance and planning.
“The municipality is in a crisis management mode. The Democratic Alliance has predicted and warned against the implosion of the electricity grid for the past two years.
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“A lack of maintenance and planning over a long period of time are contributing factors to the crisis. The ANC-run municipality is bringing the city to its knees. The ANC has once again proven that it does not have the capacity to run a city effectively.”
SurgeZirc SA gathered that during the period of the unrest and looting, the Mayor was said to have been of the hideout for nine days.
“The Mayor, who spent nine days in hiding during the unrest and looting, showed no leadership then. His lack of leadership during the ongoing electricity crisis clearly shows that Mhlongo is a failed leader, he has become a liability to uMhlathuze, and he should resign with immediate effect.
“The choice is also with the residents of uMhlathuze to do away with a party that fails us on a daily basis and instead votes for a party that has a proven track record of getting things done where we govern.”