CITY of uMhlathuze Mayor Cllr Mduduzi Mhlongo has made an impassioned plea to communities seeking to build houses in areas under traditional leadership, to consult with municipal authorities, before proceeding with their building plans.
Mhlongo was speaking during an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting held in Ngwelezana’s New Field last week.
He said the city was concerned at the increasing rate of communities who continue building houses, which did not even last for two years.
‘We are aware that some of you tend to negotiate sites to build your houses with iziNduna without consulting us, and when there are challenges regarding those houses, you come running to us as the municipality, pleading that we rescue you.
‘Not that we mind assisting, but it makes our job easy if we also get consulted to come and check whether that piece of land is conducive for human settlements.
‘In eSikhaleni alone we have received numerous cases where people come to us to report that their houses have been damaged.
‘We know that even here in uMhlanga Reserve, there are houses that were built without the involvement of municipal authorities, and already there are challenges with sewerage, refuse removal and electricity.
‘Our main worry as the municipality is that there is no guarantee that such houses can last for more than ten years without being affected by water pipe bursts or other environmental related factors,’ he said.
Mhlongo said he was proud of the work being done by the City of uMhlathuze in changing people’s lives.
‘It with pleasure we announce that we have received another clean audit report, which makes it the fourth consecutive year.
‘This means we are on the right track, and we remain a government of the people. We keep receiving accolades, one after the other, for delivering basic services to you, the people.’
Mhlongo’s sentiments were echoed by Speaker Cllr Mfundo Mthenjana, who praised the municipality for not taking unilateral decisions on matters directly affecting its residents.
‘The beauty about this meeting is that we are here to listen to your concerns and inputs, and we will attend to them in due course. We are not the best performing city in KZN for nothing,’ he said.
Mthenjana said the upgrade of Ngwelezana Community Hall was still in progress, where the municipality allocated R3-million towards the project.
‘We have also earmarked an area for a housing development project in Empangeni, which will provide 10 000 units. We are a municipality that has provided 98% of clean water to our people,’ he said.
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