District Mayor puts priorities into perspective

LOOKING back at her 100 days in office since inaugurated in August, King Cetshwayo District Municipality Mayor Nonhle Mkhulisi on Wednesday proudly presented a list of achievements, but also highlighted what is next on her ‘bucket list’.

In what was branded her ‘mini state of the district address’, Mkhulisi said she will always preach in the spirit of reconciliation.

‘I must say that almost every day I meet different people in this district who want to see us succeed in what we do, which is making better the lives of our people.’

To achieve that, she spoke of the importance of continuing interventions to assist communities struggling with little to no water supply.

‘The ravaging drought has not left us unscathed, but we have been working consistently to address the effects.

‘Among them is the development of several boreholes within King Cetshwayo District Municipality to reduce the number of tankers that cart water to various areas.’

So far, nine boreholes have been implemented in Mlalazi, two in Ntambanana, six in KwaMbonambi and five in Nkandla.

Of all the boreholes, as well as the seven springs approved by the Department of Water and Sanitation, 95% are already operational.

Mkhulisi said the municipality has also installed pressure reducing valves at strategic locations in major schemes to reduce night flow pressure, and put up prepaid smart meters in RDP villages, proven to have reduced water usage and water losses.

She added the municipality will continue to focus on fixing leakages, dealing with illegal connections and educating communities to use less water.

Also on the to-do-list are the re-use of grey water – a project that will be funded internally – and installations of water saving toilet cisterns at municipal plants and offices.

Food for thought
Another top priority is to bloom the district’s agri sector.

‘Agriculture is a pillar of strength for economic development and benefits all people in our municipalities.

‘I am glad to announce the selection of our fresh produce market as pilot RASET (Radical Agrarian Socio-Economic Transformation) programme, which is a vehicle that will ensure meaningful participation of previously disadvantaged individuals in the food value chain.

‘Essentially, the model seeks to improve the value chain of food production and supply for underprivileged farmers and emerging agro-business using the concept of incubation and widening market opportunities.

‘It also targets previously disadvantaged farmers at different levels of development such as from those who focus on food security through to those who are semi commercial farmers.

‘We will continue to engage with Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone and see what international opportunities we have as the district as far as exporting from our fresh produced products.’

Donations have, and will continue to be made to encourage underprivileged farmers.

‘We have handed over five mobile kitchens, fridges and mobile toilets to identified entrepreneurs in the five local municipalities of the district.

‘We also gave away 1 000 chicks for poultry farming and 1 000 butternut seedlings.’

Furthermore, three tractors were provided to each traditional authority within the district and a business plan for an Agripark was recently submitted to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

‘The informal sector is fast-growing, hardworking and critical to the growth of the district’s economy.

‘One step at a time, we are transforming the agricultural and local economic development sector, and ultimately hope to reduce the hungry in this district.’

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