The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) Garnet Mlethe Region has commended the Msunduzi Municipality on the steps it has taken to respectfully engage with the city’s foreign national residents.
Sanco held a media briefing on Thursday to address and give an update on the Regional Conference that was held at Mpophomeni, Howick recently.
The conference is said to have produced credible and focused leadership intended to unite the region and foster stronger relations with alliance partners of the National Democratic Revolution.
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The media briefing addressed the resolutions and outcomes of reviving township and rural economies, cleaning our towns and cities, encouraging residents to pay for services and the mobilisation for an ANC victory in the 2024 elections.
At the meeting, Msunduzi Municipality was applauded for its efforts to enforce law and order in the CBD, especially regarding its engagement with foreign national shop owners.
“We wish to commend and give Msunduzi a round of applause. We saw that they have started engaging with shop owners who are foreign nationals about following the rules of the city,” said comrade Mmeli Ngcongo, the deputy secretary of Sanco Garnet Mlethe Region.
Ngcongo added that in Richmond, law enforcement agencies led by the SAPS and the immigration office have found that some foreign nationals do not have the proper documentation to be in the country. Some were also found selling things that are illegal.
[Sanco is also] working with environmentalist practitioners to ensure that in all of our seven municipalities, our shops are clean.
“We don’t just target shops, but also schools to see if they are clean and safe. These are not only just foreign nationals’ shops that are monitored, but all shops. This is a sustainable programme which will carry on in the future,” added Ngcongo.
The chairperson of Sanco, Vusi Ntshangase, said they will be assisting the local government to work better by adhering to, and assisting with, enforcing by-laws.
“We have witnessed a decline in service delivery in some of our municipalities. It is for this reason that Sanco will embark on the cleaning of townships, rural economies and informal trade in towns foreign nationals trading more especially those who are illegal in the country,” said Ntshangase.
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Ntshangase also added that Sanco will be working with Amakhosi, izinduna and traditional leadership councils to share ideas about settling people in safe and habitable locations close to critical support services.
Sanco will hold a provincial conference on Sunday, November 19, to state their views on how the province will be shaped and also to highlight the role the new leadership has played since being in their positions.