#Letter: Please up your game

Simon Dehal of Verulam writes:

Durban is the crown jewel of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Africa, a thriving and bustling port city and gateway to many parts of the world. In the main, I am a proud Durbanite.

We have much to be proud of as eThekwini Municipality (the only metro in KZN and the only one in the country with a non-executive mayor) but sadly, in some instances, we are seriously wanting.

I address both the political and non-political city leadership, the mayor and city manager: please up your game, make Durban a renowned international city and tourist mecca, putting it and its peoples foremost and setting aside petty bickering and political differences.

All too often we hear of significant achievements and gloating about the city from various political sources.

The negatives are either forgotten (selective amnesia) or glossed over (sugar coating).

It is long overdue that basic and relatively minor issues are attended to speedily, such as faulty street lighting, defective parking meters, potholes, overgrowth, faulty robots, noise, illegal trading, littering and delays in weekly collection of household refuse etc.

Pupils often go to some municipal libraries to make copies of learning material only to find that there is no paper or the photocopiers are out of order.

In tandem, major issues must be addressed with requisite boldness and wisdom and in consultation with relevant parties.

Thus policy, contentious, critical and crucial decisions have to be made with wisdom, boldness and discernment, noting that the Integrated Development Plan, incorporating the budget, is the most important municipal issue.

In addition, the upliftment and improvement of the lives mainly of the less fortunate and underprivileged must feature prominently.

If the leadership is really serious about combatting crime, fraud, corruption and exercising true consequence management, I challenge it to firstly stop exercising double standards and making dubious decisions and secondly, carry out a comprehensive investigation into the fraudulent occupation and ownership of low-cost housing (RDP) stock by devious and corrupt city councillors and officials, whose detestable and shameful actions have deprived deserving persons and their desperate families.

Having worked and been closely associated with 5 mayors, 2 town clerks, 4 city managers and various officials in provincial and national government, 2 ½ years in the apartheid era and 17 years post-apartheid, I know first-hand what I am asserting.

Please/ngicela/asseblief appoint a new deputy mayor.

Why the delay?

Is Belinda Scott irreplaceable?

Is Diana Hoorzuk (touted replacement) playing “hard to get”?

Also appoint an out-of-the-box thinking city manager.

For the sake of the city, I pray that neither the erstwhile acting city manager, Sipho Cele, nor the current one, Musa Mbhele, are appointed as both are, at best, tepid and simply mediocre.

I worked with them for about 17 and 8 years respectively and have good judgement and assessments skills. 

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