The Mercury reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube warned councillors during their induction on Tuesday of the punitive measures they would face should they fail to support the government’s “Back to Basics” campaign.  

The programme is the department’s flagship initiative aimed at turning around KZN’s local government institutions.  Dube-Ncube said:  “The programme is non-negotiable for all new and returning councillors in the province’s municipalities.  Salaries and other perks of councillors who defy the mandate given to them by the electorate could soon be halted if these councillors do not actively promote the programme.  It does not make sense that some of our councillors are drawing salaries without tangible results.”  Dube-Ncube also said councillors presiding over municipalities which failed to get clean audits could be denied salary increases.  A Msunduzi councillor, who did not want to be named, said it was not fair to punish ordinary councillors over audit outcomes.

• Read this report by Thami Magubane in full at The Mercury

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