The Pietermaritzburg High Court rejected an urgent application by KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi to dictate who runs the Umdoni Municipality.
The legal clash followed the controversial reinstatement of Dhanpalan Devaraj (DD) Naidoo as acting Umdoni municipal manager.
MEC Buthelezi approached the court to have Naidoo’s appointment declared unlawful and set aside.
However, the presiding judge struck the MEC’s application from the roll, ruling that the MEC’s founding affidavit was inadmissible and that the criteria for urgent legal intervention had not been met.
In a statement, the chairperson of the Porfolio Committee on Cogta, Marlaine Nair, said she noted the High Court ruling regarding the ongoing dispute over the acting municipal manager.
“Crucially, this judgment does not provide a final resolution to the ongoing dispute regarding the administrative leadership of Umdoni Municipality. From an oversight standpoint, the persistent instability is troubling. A municipality cannot operate effectively while there is continued uncertainty surrounding one of its most senior administrative roles, and as long as disputes over its leadership remain a recurring matter for the courts,” said Nair.
She added that residents of Umdoni required certainty, lawful decision-making and stable administrative leadership.
“Political and administrative disagreements cannot be allowed to undermine the functioning of the municipality or the delivery of services. The Cogta Portfolio Committee will continue to monitor developments at Umdoni and the steps being taken to restore stability and proper governance,” she said.
