Executive

I would like to welcome the new Council of eDumbe Municipality led by Hon. Cllr MS Mkhabela and also our traditional Leaders to our Municipal website. Our Council has increased from 16 to 19 Councillors. There are only 05 returning Councillors and 14 new Councillors which make it very interesting because they have to adjust very quickly and hit the ground running. We are committed to assisting them with training and help them adjust quickly to the municipal environment. We have already held intensive induction training in December 2021 for the whole week, which was also attended by representatives from Cogta to provide assistance on various issues of governance and finances.

The administration of eDumbe led by the Accounting Officer is committing itself to work diligently and with honesty in enabling the new appointed Council to achieve its constitutional mandate of service delivery.

The new Council is starting their term with 03 vacancies for Senior Managers. The Process has started and the new Council is committed to filling up these posts urgently.

The previous Council worked very hard in providing electricity to the people of eDumbe. There are literally two wards, that is Ward 01 and Ward 07 that are still remaining before eDumbe reach universal access, promisingly the project of connecting the electricity to these wards is ongoing. Other wards have been catered for.

The new Council takes decent sanitation for all as a priority plan have been developed and submitted to both Provincial and National department for assistance. eDumbe Municipality is one of the few, if not the only town in KwaZulu-Natal that is still using honey-sucker system for sanitation. The town need proper Sewage System and His Worship the Mayor Cllr MS Mkhabela has taken this upon himself that this situation changes for the better.

The previous Council concentrated on improving the lives of the people in all the eight wards. This was at the expense of changing the face of Paulpietersburg town to look back and be attractive to investors by trying to improve road infrastructure in town. The new Council has resolved to tackle the development from all fronts, that is continuing with changing the lives of all people in the wards as well as invest highly in the town because they believe that by changing the town there will be more jobs for all the people of eDumbe, and this will increase revenue for all households and thus eradicate poverty.
The revenue collection at eDumbe is a great challenge because some of citizens are tempering with use of electricity, which is the main source of collection. The municipality has embarked on a vigorous plan to change this situation. The smart metres are being installed in the whole town and eventually to our townships. Road are being improved in town and at Bilanyoni Township. The by-laws will be gazetted soon so as to deal with the culprits in paying the rates. The situation of cash flow challenges and unfunded budgets will be the thing of the past very soon if the new Council shall embark on the commitment to improve the revenue collection.

We have embarked on improving the status of our IDP so that it does not only become a wish list for our people but the actual five year plan which is achievable and implementable. Cogta always commit itself to assist us in this regard as per section 31 of the Municipal System Act of 2000.
In line with section 24 of the IGR Framework Act, eDumbe Municipality is committed to work with other Municipalities in order to improve the lives of people. eDumbe Municipality is party of the IGR structure of the District and also serve as a committed member of the KZN –Mpumalanga Traus-boundary Forums that seek to improve the lives of the people that live around the border of both Provinces.
The new Council intends to work hard toward the formalisation of Traditional settlement into towns because this will fast track development and the delivery of service to all people of eDumbe. Our Spatial Development Framework (SDF) talks to the three major economic nodes that need to be developed urgently. These are Paulpietersburg Town, Luneburg and Bilanyoni function area. The new Council will be encouraged to direct Economic Development funding toward these nodes so that there will be more economic activity within eDumbe Municipality. These rural economic nodes must be formalized so that there is maximum benefit for the people of eDumbe.

I shall have not done justice if I don’t speak about social ills at our Municipality. eDumbe Municipality is loath of social ills and the new Council is working day and night to eradicate them especially the Covid19 pandemic which has cost numerous lives of the people and forced the state President to declare the country as having a national disaster with effect from March 2020. The Hon. Mayor and the Deputy Mayor are engaging different stakeholders towards fighting and reducing these social ills.

I would like to end up by thanking the Council that handed the baton to the new Council for laying a good foundation for development. I wish to thank my staff from Senior to junior official for supporting me to achieve what we have achieved with minimum resources, unity is strength and together we achieve more.

Mr BL Nkwanyana
(Assistant Manager Political Support )

Mrs Lindiwe Masondo
(Performance Management Specialist )