City sets its sights high

WE are ending this year on a high note as the City of uMhlathuze, having being awarded a clean audit for the third consecutive year.

There is no better motivation to our staff such as this accolade and we are all on a quest to continue to do better.

Our city obtains this audit opinion against the backdrop of hard work of councillors and staff, as well as external structures that play pivotal roles in oversight and support, as prescribed on the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

I must also say that the very IDP led to the city receiving an award for being the most credible – for three consecutive years.

I am also reminded that at the latter part of 2015 we saw the city awarded the best accolade in KZN for Human Settlement, and we went on to scoop the national award at the Govan Mbeki Human Settlement Awards.

Early this year we experienced a little turbulence as a result of a change of guard in the leadership of the City and the ruling party decided to deploy new and young blood to steer the city’s affairs.

Change has never been comfortable, but one gradually grows with it.

We vowed to accelerate service delivery and worked hard to be in touch with the people we serve.

Strategies

Our primary objectives were to map an anchor strategies that would see the total transformation and development of the city’s economy and the beneficiation of local entrepreneurs, black industrialists and ordinary people of uMhlathuze wherever they live.

We are working hard to realise this goal and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

For the first time in the municipal sector, uMhlathuze will have a Mayoral Advisory Panel of experts, who will shape the landscape of the city through thoroughly researched and feasible proposals to the mayor for consideration by council.

We have begun to work on the relocation of the airport to a new strategic location to be announced once all processes have been completed.

We are also working on a state-of-the-art world class waterfront and want to unleash the ocean economy and of course, being part of Operation Phakisa. This would assist in ensuring the beneficiation of locals and creation of jobs.

We wish to welcome the new citizens from Ntambanana to uMhlathuze with warm hands. This translates to an extension of our wards from 30 to 34 and it increases our population.

We have to work hard to develop the new wards for them to be on par with all others.

Our credible IDP will be extended to the new wards and we urge maximum participation to the new members of ‘Sizzle City’, so that we are aware of their basic needs and work with them in delivering.

We are approaching the local government election year and we know that this is time to reflect on what we have delivered as councillors.

I wish you all a very good and positive year ahead.