After almost a year without a home, KwaDukuza councillors held their first meeting in their newly revamped chambers last week.
Renovations on the KwaDukuza council chambers in Chief Albert Luthuli Street started around September last year and stalled when the contractor ran into financial difficulty (‘Money trouble stalls council chambers revamp’ , Courier, March 29).
Council and other municipal meetings were temporarily held at the KwaDukuza Library.
Judging from the expressions on councillors and officials’ faces when they entered the new chambers, the wait was well worth it.
Economic development and planning executive director Skhumbuzo Hlongwane explained the chamber now seats 86. Of this 52 are councillors’ seats and 28 for officials, media and members of the public.
Four flat screen televisions, flexible microphones, a new kitchen and meeting room complete the renovations.
“We also have a state-of-the-art IT system with docking stations on each desk and WiFi,” he said.
Corporate services executive director Sthembiso Khubeka said the chamber is modelled on a parliamentary sitting.
“Councillors’ seats will be labelled so they use the same seat at every meeting. Our docking stations will allow councillors to use their laptops during meeting so we can move into a paperless environment.”
Plans are also underway to install translation services in the chamber and officially name it.
