KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) has failed to meet its statutory obligation for community participation in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process.
On 15 October 2024, the planned IDP imbizos were indefinitely suspended with no given reason or explanation. The municipality is required to provide the community with 14 days’ notice of any imbizo and 21 days thereafter to consult with its constituents prior to the IDP being submitted to Council by the end of November. We have therefore requested the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to intervene under Section 139 of the Constitution. To read our full letter, CLICK HERE.
As the representative stakeholder for ‘the South’ of KwaDukuza, DOCRRA takes its responsibility to be present and engaged in all public participation processes very seriously. The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is the main planning instrument in local government and outlines how the annual budget will be spent. It encompasses the goals and objectives of the municipality, both economically and socially, including service delivery. The Municipal Systems Act, Chapter 4, outlines the municipalities legal obligation to engage with the community ‘in the preparation, implementation, and review of the Integrated Development Plan.’ At this stage, they have not left sufficient time for this process to take place.
Furthermore, there has been no leadership or oversight at KDM for more than two months, causing complete paralysis in Council. On 30 August 2024, a spokesperson from the current ruling party announced that Cllr Lindi Nhaca was being recalled from her position as mayor. However, no official communication has been sent to the municipal manager in this regard. Almost a month later on 28 September 2024, it was announced that Cllr Nhaca’s party membership was suspended. On 31 October 2024, she was removed from her position as mayor by a motion of no confidence at the Council meeting. We now sit with two vacant seats on the executive committee, that of the mayor and the deputy mayor, the latter that has been vacant for over a year.
We will be watching very closely as new candidates for mayor and deputy mayor are chosen. Any candidate must have a history of exceptional service delivery and proven leadership skills. If a ward councillor is chosen, he or she should be well-respected by their ward residents and have a fully functional and effective ward committee. With municipal elections rapidly approaching in 2026, voters will be looking at municipal performance now more than ever, ready to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
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