Masakhane awards: KwaDukuza mayor highlights importance of community participation

KwaDukuza Mayor Lindile Nhaca has urged residents not to prevent municipal officials from performing their duties.

Speaking at the inaugural Masakhane Awards ceremony held at the KwaDukuza Town Hall last Wednesday, she pointed out several challenges in this regard.

During the Masakhane campaign, for example, some residents attempted to hinder officials from addressing transgressions.

These included, among others, meter tampering, non-compliance business practices and violations of food safety regulations.

Nhaca praised the campaign teams for their dedicated efforts.

“Our commitment to enforcing the law remains steadfast until we achieve a positive transformation of our revenue generation stream. I am pleased to announce that the Masakhane campaign will become an annual initiative due to its proven benefits,” said Nhaca.

‘Masakhane’, meaning ‘Let’s Build Ourselves’ in Zulu, is a call for residents to actively participate in the development and betterment of their communities.

“Despite some individuals spreading falsehoods to the media about the council spending R185 000 on organising the Masakhane awards, I want to clarify that this is untrue and should not be misunderstood,” said Nhaca.

She said the organising team would provide a detailed expenditure report to the council, as the approval was based on an estimate by the executive committee.

She was referring to Democratic Alliance councillor Tammy Colley’s claims the event was a veiled campaigning tool.

In a letter published in February, Colley said while there is no doubt that public-private partnerships are an important part of governance, the Masakhane campaign was an insult to residents and ratepayers who are already paying for services they do not receive.

“It is disingenuous of the municipality to think the public will buy into this supposed service delivery campaign when it is only taking place in four ANC wards,” Colley wrote.

Nhaca emphasised the awards were “to recognise the unsung heroes who have significantly contributed to improving the lives of children, activists who have shown compassionate support to the vulnerable during crises, and the collective of volunteers who have helped restore order, provide assistance and instil confidence in the people.”

“We acknowledge you, knowing that some of your stories have remained in the shadows to many. Some of you have been working behind the scenes, making a difference in people’s lives without seeking acknowledgment. It is within their anonymity that their true strength resides and it is this that we celebrate,” said Nhaca.

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