Alfred Duma Local Municipality (ADLM) Mayor Zama Sibisi has expressed his satisfaction following the municipality’s strong performance at the Municipal Excellence Awards held in Durban on Thursday (March 12).

Speaking during a media briefing this morning (March 17), Sibisi said the recognition reflects the municipality’s hard work and commitment to improving service delivery.

Strengthening disaster management capacity

The mayor highlighted that one of the key achievements was winning the ‘Most Functional Disaster Management Centre’ award. He explained that when the current administration took office, there was no dedicated disaster management department.

“When we assumed office, disaster-related responsibilities were handled by the fire department, which collected information and reported to uThukela District Municipality,” he said.

Recognising the municipality’s vulnerability to disasters, leadership prioritised the establishment of a fully-fledged disaster management unit. The department began operating in the 2023/2024 financial year, showed visible progress in 2024/2025, and reached a higher level of efficiency in 2025/2026.

“We now have vehicles, management and the capacity to respond swiftly to communities during disasters,” added the mayor.

Fire services and financial management excellence

The municipality also received the ‘Most Functional Fire and Rescue Service’ award. The mayor noted that this achievement was expected, given the municipality’s investment in fire services infrastructure.

“We have several fire stations with engines stationed at Public Safety, Ezakheni, Ekuvukeni and in town, which strengthens our emergency response,” he said.

In addition, the municipality was honoured with the ‘Best and Sustained Sound Financial Management’ award. The mayor stated that since taking office in 2021, the municipality has consistently achieved unqualified audit outcomes. “Our goal now is to achieve a clean audit outcome,” he said.

Overall winner

To top it all off, ADLM was announced as the ‘Overall Winner’ of the Municipal Excellence Awards. As part of this recognition, the municipality received a cheque for R1.5 million.

Addressing road infrastructure challenges

Sibisi acknowledged ongoing challenges with ageing road infrastructure, particularly the increase in potholes caused by heavy rains.

“Our roads are ageing and the recent rains have worsened the situation. That is why we are actively working on repairs,” he explained, citing Francis Road as one of the areas currently receiving attention, along with several others.

In closing, the mayor thanked the municipal manager and all municipal employees for their dedication, emphasising that these achievements would not have been possible without their collective efforts.

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