Proposal to incorporate Hibberdene into Umzumbe Municipality

There is a game-changing municipal demarcation proposal that is likely to be met with fierce opposition where upscale areas such as Hibberdene and surroundings are proposed to be moved from Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM) to the sandy Umzumbe Municipality.

A public participation meeting by the Municipal Demarcation Board was scheduled at the Hibberdene town hall on Monday last week, but it did not take place as the venue was not booked.

The intention of the board is to remove certain sections of Hibberdene from RNM and to incorporate them into Umzumbe Municipality.
The Demarcation Act prescribes the procedure which includes options to engage with the citizenry as part of the public participation requirements.

Over 160 residents arrived to closed doors at the town hall and the meeting was postponed to mid-August.
The hall was then made available to residents to hold an informal meeting and the chairperson of the South Coast Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, Leon de Jager addressed residents.

The residents said the failed meeting became a perfect opportunity to create a Re-Demarcation WhatsApp Action Group, saying that the group will now collect information from RNM, the Demarcation Board and other sources and inform the residents properly and address questions and proposals.

“A memorandum will then be updated to include all the information that will be processed into a document as a first formal step of participation. The public will then come better informed and better prepared,” said the residents.

In October 2022, the ANC’s KZN chairperson, Siboniso Duma asked Umzumbe Municipality’s mayor Bongani Nyuswa to do his final presentation before the ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) to bring the town of Hibberdene back under Umzumbe Municipality, so that the municipality can have a town of its own.
Duma, who is originally from Umzumbe said he was tired of having to go to his home town which does not have a town.

“The lobbying has been finished so now we are finalising it. Once the proposal gets to the PEC, we will support it, fund it and start developing the area of Umzumbe. During holiday season, people from Umzumbe Municipality go to Hibberdene beach and spend money, so we want to benefit from the area,” said Duma.
Meanwhile, people who want to participate in the meeting can send their details or submissions to combook246@gmail.com. People in Umzumbe Municipality can contact 081 7092941.

Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page