Ilembe tables draft budget, IDP review

are underway to augment these challenges, additional support to manage nonrevenue water will be prioritized through the Vuthela LED Programme.

Budget highlights

The 2023/24 draft budget overall operational revenue budget amounts to R1, 475 billion, and allocated grants at R377 million

Draft tariff of charges proposed to be increased by 9.5% effective from 1 July 2023

In the same meeting, Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC)

Chairperson Councillor

Jennifer Vallan tabled the oversight report on the 2021/22 Annual Report for adoption and reported that there were no submissions received from the individual members of the public on the Annual Report iLembe District Municipality and that of its Entity (Enterprise iLembe.

In a sitting of council held at the iLembe Auditorium on 29 March 2023, Ilembe District Mayor Councillor Thobani Shandu tabled the 2023/24 draft Integrated and Development Plan review and the draft Budget for adoption.

Mayor Shandu reported that the 2022 2027 IDP has obtained an overall credibility rating of 86.97%.

“The IDP was ranked number seven in the province and was acknowledged for being in top 10 for 12 years running,” he said.

Revenue loss, ageing infrastructure and nonrevenue water were revealed as the top three challenges informing the IDP review.

“While existing projects

Council adopted both the draft budget and IDP, which will be taken to the public for comments in consultative processes to be conducted during April and May 2023. The draft budget will also be published in the local press and municipal website for comments.

Submissions were however, received from political parties and interest groups including the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, the Human Rights Association, internal audit and the office of the AuditorGeneral.

“We urge the accounting officer to expedite the filling of vacancies budgeted for on the organogram. This was raised by the AuditorGeneral and is a repeat finding. Priority must be given to compliance, service delivery positions and revenue enhancement. It is not acceptable that the position of accountant revenue remains vacant and yet the revenue section is not yielding positive results in terms of debt collection and revenue enhancement,” said Vallan.

The chairperson commended the municipality for not having new cases of unauthorized, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

“It is concerning that the municipality has to deal with matters of non-compliance stemming from previous financial years,” she said.

Council adopted the oversight report on the annual report. Other items on the agenda included the 2022/23 adjusted Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan and the 2023/24 draft SDBIP that were also adopted and approved by Council.

Mall robbery suspects shot dead

Two suspects linked to a brazen robbery at an outlet in KwaDukuza Mall have been shot dead. Information received suggests that five armed men were involved in the robbery on Wednesday last week, who then fled in their getaway vehicle. Subsequent pursuit by police and security companies led to the suspects being traced to Verulam, after they had allegedly changed their vehicle. In the resulting confirmation, two of the suspects were shot dead, while three managed to escape.

No further information is available at this stage, and police are investigating.

By Musa Mnyandu

Alife well lived. This phrase encapsulates the life of the late

Deputy Mayor of KwaDukuza Municipality, Cllr Thulani Vusi “Mbazo” Ntuli, who will be laid to rest tomorrow, after collapsing to his death on Wednesday last week.

A towering figure in the local political and social circles, Deputy Mayor Ntuli, affectionately known as Cde Mbazo, was loved and admired by people from all walks of life, and across the political divide. His gargantuan and well recorded charitable endeavours ingratiated in many sectors of society, easily making him one of the most recognizable and admired leaders in Ilembe District, and beyond.

At the time of his death, Ntuli was the Deputy Mayor of KwaDukuza, chairing the portfolio committee on Infrastructure and Technical Services. He was also the longest serving Regional Treasurer of the ANC in the General Gizenga Mpanza Region (GGMR). Just before collapsing on Wednesday, while n his way to the bank opposite the KDM Civic Buildings, he had joined his fellow councillors on an official Council engagement, and was about to go into the Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting.

Efforts by paramedics and other first responders to save his life drew a blank, as Cde Mbazo simply made his transition to the other realm (upon arrival at the local hospital), leaving many people in KwaDukuza numb with shock.

While there has been much speculation regarding the cause of Mbazo's untimely death, with many putting it down to a possible heart attack, the ANC in the Region has cautioned against pre-empting the findings of the postmortem.

The ANC has also recalled how Ntuli came to settle in KwaDukuza, although he was born in Empangeni, on the North Coast.

“Ntuli was born at Esgisi, Ngwelezane area, in Empangeni, on the KwaZuluNatal North Coast, on the 3rd of September 1974. The area was engulfed by political violence perpetrated by Inkatha vigilantes supported by Apartheid security police. Due to his family's political activism, his homestead was attacked and he lost both his parents while his homestead was reduced to ashes. In 1986 he escaped death and went to exile in Lusaka, Zambia, where he joined Umkhonto WeSizwe, a military wing of the ANC. He received advanced military and political training and joined the Butterfly Unit (Uvemvane).

“He came back to South Africa in 1988 and settled in the homestead of General Gizenga Mpanza, where he spent his time receiving political education and executing internal operations as mandated by the organisation. He was very active in building ANC structures when political parties were unbanned in 1990. He belonged to the first ever branch formed in the country post unbanning, KwaDukuza ANC branch. He was elected into various positions in the ANC ranks, which include branch and region. His unquestionable and unique skills in financial management were noticeable. As a result, he was elected as Regional Treasurer at five (5) consecutive conferences,” stated ANC GGMR.

Deeply saddened

Meanwhile, ANC KZN Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo said the party in the entire province was “deeply saddened” by the untimely death of Cde Mbazo. He said his death would be felt by the ANC and society at large.

“Cde Thulani (worked tirelessly) for the ANC. He was always available for deployment to ensure that this great organisation improves the lives of residents in the region. He was a community activist and deeply rooted in the community, making him a reliable leader who represented the interests of marginalized communities, especially in the townships and in rural areas.

“He was a young leader with a great future ahead. His sense of courage and the ability to represent the interests of ordinary members of society earned him respect from his comrades and leaders of other political parties,” Mtolo said.

The ANC in the province has also noted the work done by the late Ntuli, along with Mayor Lindile Nhaca, in accelerating service delivery across KwaDukuza municipal area, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2022.

“It is a matter of great pain that the movement has lost such a Continued on Page 2