Profile: Ward 93 Cllr Zungu

By Simiso Ngcobo

Ward 93 comprises of the areas from the centre of Amanzimtoti north to the golf course including Athlone Park, inland to Ezimbokodweni

Full Name:
Thulisile Gloria Zungu

Age:
48 years

Where were you born?
I was born in Swaziland, and moved to KwaZulu-Natal because my husband lives here.

Where do you currently live?
Ezimbokodweni

Tell me more about your political history:
I don’t have a long journey in politics, but ever since I was born, joining the ANC was one of my goals, even when I was in Swaziland, because my elders always told me about the ANC doing good things.
So growing up I viewed the ANC as a well-organised party. So when I moved to KZN, I decided to join the ANC in 2012 and I was voted in as treasurer for the ANC Women’s League. In 2014 I was voted in as a mobilising co-ordinator for the 2014 elections.

From then I started knowing more people from other wards and more people started to come to me for help, because they trusted me and because I’m patient.

Others even came to me to ask for money to bury their family members. People started liking me, and they also influenced me sign up for the local councillor elections in 2016. I did and they voted for me to be their councillor in ward 93.

What will you focus on during your term as ward councillor?
Most of the people in my ward are unemployed, but we have Southgate Business Park in our community, which has chemical companies like Kynoch.
So my current focus would be to approach companies like Kynoch for them to try and hire people from the community, because they are the ones inhaling their chemical smoke but they are not benefiting.

What problems do you see in your ward that need focussing on?
Poverty, drugs and crime. Since people are unemployed in ward 93, the poverty rate is high and still increasing, which also increases the crime rate.
Most of the youngsters in my ward have a matric but their families cannot afford to pay for their further education, so most of them decide not to search for jobs but rather sell drugs.

How do you plan to rectify these problems?
To try and attack the community problems, I will try to create more job opportunities for the community, by encouraging work places in the ward to try and hire more people in the community, and try to influence people in the community to involve themselves in the tender activities taking place in the community.

What would you like to say to the residents in your ward?
I would like to thank them for believing in me and trusting that I can stand for them and solve their problems and also to fight against corruption. I’m leading seven regions but I have managed to meet them all one by one, because I have been organising meetings with all my regions to thank them since the day results came out, indicating that I will be their councillor.

How should residents contact you?
Call 071-925-5871 or email tzungu426@gmail.com