KwaDukuza is not broke and new brooms will sweep away corruption and maladministration.

These promises by new mayor Siduduzo Gumede and his staff were well received by about 250 ratepayers at the mayoral imbizo for Wards 6, 22 and 30 at Umhlali Prep last Wednesday.

The meeting was a far cry from the anger of residents in the packed hall in April, which preceded the sacking of then mayor Ali Ngidi and deputy mayor Sicelinjabulo Cele three months later.

READ MORE: Outcry after eleventh hour postponement of mayoral imbizos | North Coast Courier

Newly appointed mayor Gumede took pains to address residents’ concerns regarding KwaDukuza municipality’s (KDM) problems. He said the municipality needed cross-party political stability.

“Local government is not about party politics; it’s about delivering services to the people,” he said.

“I want to promise all of you, that we will be working with all councillors to root out corruption in this municipality. The stolen R35-million and other stories are going to be a thing of the past.”

Gumede, a former mayor of both KwaDukuza and iLembe, identified financial sustainability, service delivery failure and energy losses as key areas for improvement.

“We should be financially viable if we are to deliver quality services. The issue of energy losses is a serious matter… but we will deal with this problem because it is a threat to the functioning of the municipality,” he said.

Chief financial officer Shamir Rajcoomar assured the meeting that KDM was not insolvent and that cash resources overall were healthy. While a loss of about R500-million was expected in the electricity department, this did not affect the overall running of the municipality.

Meanwhile, in a move welcomed by residents, the mayor accepted the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association’s (Docrra) offer to collaborate.

“There’s a need to involve communities in the affairs of the municipality. We therefore welcome input from Docrra

“There is nothing wrong with working with a ratepayers’ association because ratepayers’ associations will always be around. We are not enemies,” pledged Gumede, who concluded by encouraging public scrutiny.

“I like it when you put pressure on some of us; that’s how it should be done. Officials are not your bosses; they are public servants. They should be questioned and expected to give answers at all times.”

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