Zuma vows to aid ailing East Cape municipalities

MINDFUL of the chaotic state of local government in the Eastern Cape, President Jacob Zuma yesterday announced the government's plans to rescue some of the province's most troubled municipalities.

With less than two years before the municipal elections in 2016, Zuma signalled his administration's strategy to deal with what has been the ANC's biggest headache in the last two decades – local government.

"In Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape, our Development Bank of Southern Africa has approved funding to develop infrastructure," Zuma said.

"Numerous projects, mainly in water and sanitation, will be started and the objective is to complete them over the next 12 months.

"In Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape, funding will be provided for infrastructure development projects covering water provision, sanitation and electrification."

Local municipalities involved include Mbizana and Ntabankulu, catering for a population of about one million people. - Nwabisa Makunga and Rochelle de Kock