DOCRRA chairman Deon Viljoen writes:

Dear Madam Speaker Cllr Dolly Govender and Nhlanhla Mdakane, Municipal Manager.

We express our deep disappointment with the municipality’s ongoing unresponsiveness and disregard for community needs. There is a legal and moral obligation to engage with the KwaDukuza community, as mandated by the Municipal Systems Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act.

· Dysfunctional ward committees: Most ward committees are ineffective, with rare meetings often turning into political gatherings. This leads to fabricated minutes and reports, while public meetings are frequently cancelled.

· Imbizos and structured engagement: The unexplained postponement of the IDP and budget Imbizos highlights the municipality’s failure to engage with the community. Such engagement is crucial, and postponing it is an insult to Dolphin Coast residents.

· DOCRRA quarterly meetings: These meetings are often cancelled or postponed, with only one held this year, and issues from previous meetings remain unaddressed.

· Commitments and PAIA requests: Promised open-door policies and responses to issues are ignored, undermining trust. PAIA are rarely complied with, and irrelevant information is provided when they are.

As a recognised stakeholder organisation, DOCRRA can no longer tolerate this non-compliance with our rights and legislative requirements. We demand a significant change in KDM’s approach, or we will escalate these failures to governmental oversight and mobilise the community until the situation is addressed. Immediate action is necessary for meaningful engagement.
Ed- Letter shortened.

KDM spokesperson Sifiso Zulu:

I can confirm that on Monday, 21 October, a letter from DOCRRA was received by the Municipal Manger and the Speaker of Council. It is of concern that the municipality, being the intended recipient of the letter, got to know about it from the media first, rather than directly from the authors. It is an uncommon manner of proceeding. At this stage the letter is receiving attention from the relevant officials and office bearers. In conformity with etiquette, the municipality will engage directly with DOCRRA.

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