Former councillor, Alderman Feisal Dawood of Ballito writes:
In 1992, after years of being milked by the Development and Services Board (DSB), the Shakaskraal Ratepayers Association, of which I was the Chairman, promoted a rates boycott of 87 areas within KZN that were controlled by the DSB.
We formed a committee called ICADA and convinced the majority of our ratepayers to pay their rate bills into attorneys’ trust accounts, and within three months we had the DSB on its knees.
Shakaskraal created a bit of history and became completely autonomous in July 1993, the first new municipality in 38 years with myself elected as the chairman of the Shakaskraal Health Committee.
Within a year of our autonomy, we obtained grant funding of more than R40-million for infrastructure development, some of which included connecting every property to sewage lines, sewage plants, 200 houses in Protea Heights, a new clinic, library, municipal offices, the upgrade of the main street and other roads, street lights and a massive rates reduction.
All services were privatised and we had only five employees running the entire municipality. So in essence, our rates boycott worked.
After the first democratic elections in 1994, a transitional council made up of Ballito, Umhlali, Shakaskraal, Tinley Manor Beach, Etete, Nkobongo, Shaka’s Head and Driefontein was set up to chart a path for the future while each ran their own affairs.
All of the above areas officially amalgamated to form the Dolphin Coast Municipality after the first democratic local government elections in June 1996.
The era between 1996-2000 was an undoubted success, during which time every area enjoyed development and service delivery of the highest standard.
In 2000 we were voted the best municipality of the year.
In December 2000 we were forced to choose amalgamation with either Durban or Stanger, and after lengthy deliberations chose Stanger which was subsequently renamed the KwaDukuza Municipality.
Both Barbara Shingler and myself opted not to stand for re-election in 2006 as it became increasingly evident that deployed cadres were becoming more involved in nefarious activities.
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