eThekwini turnaround on track

Cleaner inner city streets and a responsive online digital system has been applauded by Durban residents, despite ongoing challenges in other areas.

The provincial task team led by former Director in the presidency, Cassius Lubisi, together with former city manager, Michael Sutcliffe, is also almost one month into their intervention in the turnaround of the municipality and investigations into challenges affecting service delivery.

While both have remained mum on their progress so far, Sutcliffe confirmed their first task is to develop a draft diagnostic and turnaround areas, and in addition to engagements with city officials, have also been engaging with the business sector, community-based organisations, financial institutions and others to identify any challenges being experienced which directly impact on the city's economy.

Lubisi and Sutcliffe were appointed by KZN's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi as part of a section 154 intervention. This includes looking into non compliance issues, poor spending, strengthening partnerships between communities', civil society, business and other role players with the Municipality, accelerating service delivery and identifying economic opportunities which need to be fast-tracked. In his announcement, Buthelezi said the intervention was aimed at “restoring eThekwini to its former status as the jewel in the crown of KZN”.

However, the intervention has received mixed reactions from within and outside the Municipality. Ordinary residents and business owners have welcomed the move, while others have questioned it.

"We are already receiving support from a national level. eThekwini is not in debt, we don't have a deficit. In fact we have a cash on hand and a positive balance, so why do we need a turnaround plan?" said one senior eThekwini official.

But, Kevin, a local business owner was all praise for the intervention.

"It's time something was done. Seems like there is a lot spending on nonsense while the city sleeps on service delivery. Our complaints fall on deaf ears and we are left on our own," was his response.

The team is expected to submit monthly reports to the MEC over their 12 month contract period.