PORT ST. JOHN’S, EASTERN CAPE — The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands councillors responsible for wasteful expenditure be held accountable in the O.R. Tambo District Municipality following allegations of collusion with service providers. Mbongeni Kotani, a DA councillor in the district, has called for urgent investigations into the mismanagement of millions of Rands meant for critical infrastructure, specifically highlighting the stalled Ntsonyeni Dam project in Port St. Johns.
As the first voter registration weekend concludes, residents in Port St. John’s, Mandunini, and surrounding remote inland villages are heading to the polls amid growing frustration. Despite government revitalization programs—such as the tourism hub initiative and the small hub project aimed at strengthening the fisheries and maritime sectors for local job creation—basic service delivery remains critically poor. Ongoing water shortages and deteriorating roads have severely dampened community hope in their elected representatives.
At the center of the DA’s concerns is the Ntsonyeni Dam, a bulk water system intended to supply the district municipality. According to Kotani, the project was initiated in 2002 with an expected completion timeline of three to three-and-a-half years. However, more than R143 million has been spent without the dam being completed. Kotani alleges that local politicians and the municipal administration colluded with contractors, resulting in missing invoices and untraceable payments.
“As a councillor of that municipality, we tried to make all the investigations to appoint a service provider to investigate those projects, but we didn’t find any documents,” Kotani stated, noting that millions of Rands were simply condoned by the council rather than investigated.
He is now calling for Chapter 9 institutions to step in. Citing Section 32, subsection 5 of the Financial Management Act (Act 56), Kotani emphasized that any wasteful expenditure must be paid back by the individuals responsible for wasting taxpayer money.
The DA councillor accused members of the African National Congress (ANC) of defending the municipal managers, contractors, and the council against scrutiny. He alleged that the ruling party’s agenda in the O.R. Tambo district is to “milk the money with contractors” rather than deliver essential water and sanitation services to the community.
With the November 4 elections approaching, Kotani insists that any new leadership taking over the council must immediately launch investigations through Chapter 9 institutions to ensure those who misused the funds face consequences.
Meanwhile, residents continue to flock to voting stations in Port St. John’s to register. Despite the municipal infighting and severe water crisis, communities remain hopeful that service delivery failures will become a top priority for future leadership.
