Despite notable progress for Endumeni Municipality, whose audit report improved from a disclaimer to a qualified report, several key projects continue to mar the service delivery record. Mayor Mcebo Mkhize, marking a year in office, is working to address these unfinished developments.

The Glencoe cemetery, costing R12-million and located at the town’s entrance from Dundee, has come under criticism. Residents claim the site, built on a gradient, is prone to flooding and the potential for graves to be washed away. Concerns were raised over a lack of consultation, although officials confirmed that environmental notices were published and objections could be lodged.

Ward 7 councillor, Cllr Salem Abdool, noted that the decision to build the cemetery on Payne Farm dates back to 2018 under the previous council. The second tranche of payments, due in July 2024, has been made, but the site remains unused. Similarly, the new Dundee graveyard on Nyanyadu Road off Union Street lies overgrown and inactive.

Multi-purpose centre lies dormant in Forestdale

The multi-purpose centre in Forestdale, constructed after the COVID-19 pandemic, has yet to host a single sports or community event despite its courts for tennis, netball, and volleyball, and a hall for meetings. A town tour by Mayor Mkhize in February revealed cracked walls and shoddy workmanship, with no repairs or openings carried out since.

Community activist Queenie Thompson said the community of Forestdale had few recreational facilities, and ‘it was frustrating to walk past a new centre every day where only a lone security guard had access to’.

Residents hope that 2026 will bring answers to these expensive but unused projects, which currently stand as white elephants in the municipality.

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