Mayor Kaunda exits eThekwini
Former Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda, has bid farewell to the city he had reigned over since September 2019, following his re-deployment to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament.
ON Thursday (June 13), Kaunda confirmed that he had answered the call from the African National Congress (ANC), his political home, to assume a position where he would continue to employ his leadership expertise to implement the ANC’s policies.
He said he accepted the new role with warmth, knowing that he had made a lasting and impactful contribution to eThekwini and its residents. This statement is contrary to the numerous calls by the opposition parties in the Council and residents who have garnered for his expulsion and raised several votes of no confidence, citing his lack of leadership.
In his departure speech, Kaunda thanked the residents of eThekwini, the ANC, his former staff and business societies.
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“The collaboration we have forged with business, labour, interfaith, aMakhosi, academia and the civil society has contributed immensely in rebuilding our city following a string of catastrophic events,” he said.
During his tenure, he faced the mammoth task of rebuilding the city and restoring ratepayers’ confidence following the 2020 Covid pandemic, the 2021 July unrest and the devastating floods of 2022. He reckoned that, “Because of the strong partnership we had formed with social partners, we were able to develop an impactful economic recovery plan which has become our blueprint to respond to disasters. The work of rebuilding the city’s infrastructure is ongoing, and I want to assure the residents of eThekwini that this work is on track.”
As the mayor, he was tasked to head the Finance Committee, and he is confident that he directed the City’s budget where it was most impactful, ie, water and sanitation, job creation and infrastructure. However, this is from where residents across the city drew their frustrations, resulting in countless protests during his term in office.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), as the official opposition party in the Council, has welcomed the former mayor’s exit. The DA has previously accused the former mayor of dismal incompetence in improving the city. In February 2024, the DA’s attempts to remove the mayor through a vote of no-confidence yielded no results. The party mentioned that it was willing to work with any incumbent who is ready to prioritise service delivery and who displays competence.
He concluded that, “Our strategies to attract new investment in the City have seen an injection of a more than R200 billion investment in catalytic projects. When they are all completed, these high-impact catalytic projects will create 300 000 sustainable jobs for the people of eThekwini. Durban continues to live up to its tag of being Africa’s playground as we continue to host major international events.”
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The City’s deputy mayor, Councillor Zandile Myeni, will take over the reins until a new mayor is elected.
Kaunda, who hails from Inanda, has served in various leadership roles within the structures of the ANC. He rose from the ranks of the ANC Youth League and parachuted to provincial chambers when he was appointed KwaZulu-Natal MEC of Transport before he was bestowed with the mayoral chain in 2019.
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