First sitting of councils marks a new trajectory of a journey of building a stronger KZN economically and socially
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu has called on all political parties in various municipalities to always remember that they represent the interests and aspirations of millions of people who voted on the 3rd August.
He was speaking this morning as members of the executive councils are crisscrossing the province to oversee the first sitting of councils of various municipalities. The Premier will be in Mtshezi, Escourt in his capacity as a champion of Operation Sukuma Sakhe deployed to the district to champion solid service delivery.”
He quipped: “The time to advance narrow political interests are over now. Once elected into office partisanship should be placed in the back burner. We should act in unity in order to fulfill the mandate given to us. We need to take joint ownership for the development of our respective municipalities.”
“Acting in partnership with our communities, we need to see to it that councilors hold regular meetings with their constituents. Communication is a vital tool in ensuring that the right kind of service is delivered to the right kind of community.”
“We cannot operate remotely. Once left behind, communities feel neglected, that their needs are not being met. Thus they take up arms, in a manner of speaking. We can prevent that by constantly engaging our communities, so as to have their feedback on whether our efforts are serving their needs.”
“For all the stakeholders, working together and having constant dialogue means joint ownership of local development. We cannot work in silos. We need to harness the local energy by engaging in an inclusive exercise of forming ward committees. These are a vital element in ensuring that the voices of even the most remote members of the community are heard. That includes engaging traditional and religious leaders.”
“In our day-to-day activities we also need to form partnerships with local business. Across the country, reports are coming out that businesses are heeding the call for joint ownership of local economic development in partnership with local municipalities. Let us harness this show of goodwill in order to enhance development and service delivery.”
Enquiries:
Ndabezinhle Sibiya: Spokesperson for the Premier
Cell: 082 375 4742
