Sduduzo Gumede (62) was elected KwaDukuza mayor on Friday, pledging to urgently tackle electricity outages, potholes, waste failures and poor governance.

Speaking at his inauguration at KwaDukuza Town Hall, Gumede said the time had come to confront the municipality’s challenges head-on. His appointment follows the July recall of mayor Ali Ngidi and deputy Njabulo Cele amid allegations of misuse of municipal funds for luxury vehicles and private security.

The position of deputy-mayor remains vacant, while Dolly Govender continues as speaker.

Gumede, a former iLembe (2016-2021) and KwaDukuza mayor (1998-2008), secured 38 votes in a secret ballot, defeating Independent Alliance’s Melisizwe “Commie” Ntleko and the DA’s Privi Makhan.

“For some time now, the municipality has been in the news for all the wrong reasons,” said Gumede. “This has contributed to a trust deficit between the institution and the communities it serves.”

He pledged to improve service delivery within the municipality’s financial and administrative capacity, noting that existing development plans must now be implemented and evaluated.
Framing his leadership in constitutional values, Gumede said: “Our obligations are not ceremonial hymns; they are solemn commitments to change lives for the better.”

Opposition councillors welcomed his election. Ntleko called him “one of the few with no stains,” while ActionSA’s Nel Sewraj expressed hope he would unite the council.

Doccra chairperson Deon Viljoen welcomed Gumede’s commitment to engage stakeholders, saying a letter of congratulations had been sent and that he was hoping to meet with the mayor soon.

Gumede previously led iLembe District out of near-bankruptcy and was credited for it being named KZN’s best-performing municipality in 2018.

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