DESPITE the Covid-19 pandemic which is having a devastating impact on the local economy and the health and livelihoods of its citizens, the City of uMhlathuze continues to make strides in the delivery of basic services.
Addressing the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) roadshow held last week at the Empangeni Civic Centre, uMhlathuze Municipality IDP Manager, Zodwa Mdluli, said the municipality was able to rise to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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‘During this crisis, municipalities were still expected to function and provide essential services such as water, sanitation, electricity and solid waste removal, which we as the city of uMhlathuze managed to achieve.’
Mdluli, who also acts as the city’s chief operation officer (COO), said 899 jobs were also created through the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) in the 2019/2020 financial year.
‘We received a ‘Back to Basics’ provincial score of 84%.’.
Mdluli added there were still communities without access to services in various wards, saying there was a need to refocus and redirect the budget towards investing in new infrastructure and maintenance of existing infrastructure where backlogs exist.
The IDP meeting, the final one of the year, was also addressed by the city’s Deputy Mayor, Dudu Sibiya, who pleaded with communities to exercise patience.
‘We have been made aware of your concerns with regard to the pace of service delivery in rural areas. We want to assure you that we have not neglected rural areas, particularly Ntambanana and Macekane.
‘We are working tirelessly to ensure that these areas get access to clean and potable water through the Ntambanana water reticulation project.’
She added that the rural housing project, earmarked for the Mkhwanazi and Dube traditional authorities, were still on track.
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