Local goverment will only start working when the officials start working.

Local government is often judged by what residents see on the ground. Councillors are usually the first to hear and get blamed when services fail. The uncomfortable truth however is that local government can only function if the officials entrusted with implementing decisions actually do their jobs.

In our municipality, we are seeing a worrying trend. Very junior officials, often responsible for basic service delivery functions, are increasingly unresponsive to requests, sometimes for months on end. This culture of unresponsiveness mirrors behaviour higher up the chain. Many in senior management also display indifference in responding to councillors and community concerns.

Most alarming of all is the blatant political bias that remains entrenched. There are instances where junior officials appear far more responsive to councillors from certain political parties, while others are ignored. Officials are not employed by political parties, they are employed by the people of KwaDukuza.

The Municipal Systems Act is clear that officials must be politically neutral and committed to service delivery.
Officials must remember that they are public servants. Councillors, regardless of party affiliation, are elected representatives of the people. We have different roles, but a shared obligation to our people.

If we are serious about fixing local government, we must start by restoring a culture of service and a fundamental shift in attitude.

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