Durban,KwaZul-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer, has accused the eThekwini and Msunduzi municipalities of acting unlawfully and using essential services as a “political weapon” after both metros cut water and electricity supply to key provincial government buildings in recent days.
In a strongly worded public statement, Meyer said the disruptions — which affected a fully paid-up regional Public Works office and other government facilities — violated constitutional principles and risked crippling service delivery for thousands of residents.
Historic Rates Debt, Not Mismanagement
Meyer said the province is grappling with a “significant historical debt” on property rates accumulated over many years. The Department of Public Works manages more than 10,000 provincial properties, but individual government departments pay their own water and electricity bills directly.
According to Meyer, both the Auditor-General and Provincial Treasury have confirmed that the challenge stems from long-standing underfunding of municipal rates, rather than mismanagement by the department.
The MEC said the province is already implementing corrective measures, including payment plans, valuation roll clean-ups, budget adjustments, and property disposals, to stabilise municipal debt over time.
Paid-Up Building Cut Off
A flashpoint emerged last week when eThekwini disconnected utilities at the department’s regional office despite the building reportedly being up to date on municipal rates.
Meyer said the move disrupted essential government services across multiple departments and affected thousands of residents, calling it “irrational, potentially unconstitutional, and not aligned with lawful credit control.”
He argues that the Metropolitan Municipality violated several legal provisions, including:
Section 152 of the Constitution, which obliges municipalities to ensure sustainable service delivery.
Section 195, requiring fair and accountable public administration.
Section 73 of the Municipal Systems Act, which prioritises accessible and equitable service delivery.
Section 64 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, which requires municipalities to apply credit control to the correct debtor, with accurate billing.
“Cutting services to a paid-up building due to debts owed by other departments does not comply with the law,” Meyer stated.
Failed Attempts at Engagement
Meyer said he and Acting Head of Department Dr. Vish Govender contacted eThekwini leadership “over 30 times” in the past week seeking agreement on a payment plan, but received no positive results.
On 28 November 2025, the province formally lodged an Intergovernmental Dispute under the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act — a mandatory legal step when government entities disagree. Meyer alleges that eThekwini “ignored” the process entirely.
Msunduzi Follows Suit
This morning, Msunduzi Municipality reportedly cut services to additional provincial buildings under circumstances Meyer described as “mirroring the same irrational and unlawful conduct” of eThekwini.
He said the province is concerned about “an emerging pattern” of municipalities bypassing communication protocols and using credit control measures in a deliberately disruptive manner.
Call for Cooperation — Not “Political Point-Scoring”
Meyer reiterated that the province “remains committed to paying what is due — transparently and responsibly,” but warned that it “will not allow unlawful conduct to compromise service delivery to hospitals, schools, clinics, offices, and communities.”
Meyer urged both municipalities to engage constructively.
“Sit down with us. Engage with the payment proposal already submitted. Follow the legally mandated dispute-resolution process. Ignoring the provincial government and issuing political statements will not solve this problem,” he said.
Neither eThekwini nor Msunduzi had issued a formal response at the time of publication.