Councillors, municipal management and the public attended the monthly council meeting held last Wednesday at Umtshezi Municipality council chamber. Traditionally each meeting begins with a rendition of the national anthem before the verbal formalities get underway.

During the verbal motion or notice to council where councillors are allowed to raise points not contained on the agenda, councillor’s echoed each other’s sentiments and spoke of long grass, potholes, streetlights not functioning and illegal dumping. Mayor Bongani Dlamini rounded off the verbal motions by appreciating the support from councillors against the xenophobic violence and warned councillors about using service delivery projects to garner votes for next year’s local government elections. He called this a ‘childish way of campaigning’.

In some cases, these promised projects don’t materialise and prompts protest action, which the Mayor said was looming in Weenen. Acting Municipal Manager Hans Chotoo presented the Turnaround Strategy, which was adopted by council. Other items for consideration on the agenda, which were approved by council included, amongst others, the draft rates, taxes and tariffs for 2015/2016 and a Mayoral Golf Day.

Councillors deferred items pertaining to electrification, and cost of living allowance increases. There were several incidents where councillors were called to order for utterances that were considered inappropriate.