Mqadi sworn in as Ugu mayor

The swearing-in of Sikhumbuzo Mqadi as the new mayor of Ugu District Municipality was welcomed by many recently.

The former Ray Nkonyeni Municipality mayor took an oath at the Port Shepstone Civic Centre during an Ugu council meeting.

The position of mayor become vacant after the death of the former mayor, Phumlile Mthiyane.

While Mqadi is the newly-elected mayor, Mandla Chiya remains the Ugu deputy mayor, and Sizwe Ngcobo is still the speaker of council.

Congratulating Mqadi during his inauguration ceremony, IFP councillor Busi Machi, said they congratulate the newly elected mayor.
Machi said they hope that the mayor will also address the issue of politicising the municipality.

“Save all, make it a point that each and every corner you don’t check the card or the T-shirt when there is a need, you should attend to them,” said Machi.

Meanwhile, councillor George Henderson said on behalf of the DA, they want to congratulate mayor ‘Zero’ Mqadi and wish him well, saying that he has got a big job ahead of him.

“We hope that he can bring the necessary changes that we all need to get water to our people and deliver proper services. We are behind you, we will support you as far as we possibly can and we pray that you will have a good road ahead of you. We hope that God will bless and be with you during this difficult road you have to travel,” said Henderson.

In his maiden speech, Mqadi said it was time to place their differences aside and unite in service delivery.

“I know that there was no election that took place here and I want to thank all the councillors for that gesture. Ugu district residents deserve only the best efforts from all of us whether you are in a political leadership position, management, and in all other positions within our administration,” said Mqadi.

He added: “What has to happen now is to sharpen the tools of delivery for the municipality to meet the ever-increasing demand for delivering water to our people. Such a noble task cannot be executed by one man but it requires collective wisdom and efforts from all of us in this council. I call upon all councillors to work with us as we embark on a journey to stabilise and reposition this municipality. One of the key areas of focus is to ensure a clean and corrupt-free administration, we expect this council not to tolerate any action that contrasts with the mandate of this council.”

Mqadi said Ugu District Municipality has provided 70% of clean water to the citizens of the district.
He said infrastructure development becomes a critical area of investment that supports structural transformation, growth, and job creation.

The newly elected mayor said their focus will therefore be the revitalisation of water and sanitation infrastructure across the district in order to regain confidence from residents.

“We undertake to be a performance-driven council and to this end, I invite all staff led by the acting municipal manager to continue doing good work and double the efforts as we seek to increase the pace of serving our people. Let me indicate from the outset of my tenure as the mayor, my willingness to work together with all political parties and stakeholders – this will enable us to find workable solutions for the diverse range of developmental challenges facing our district,” he said.

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