FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 May 2025
Issued on behalf of KwaDukuza Organised Residents Alliance (KORA), which includes the keystone member, the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayer’s Association (DOCRRA), as well as the ratepayers associations from Tinley Manor, Blythedale, and Zinkwazi, the KwaDukuza Residents Forum (KDRF), iLembe Civic Action Movement (ICAM) and the KwaDukuza Business Forum (KBF).
An Open Letter to the Councillors of KwaDukuza Municipality:
We write today to address the unfortunate events that transpired last week Tuesday, 20 May at the ‘25/’26 IDP/Budget Imbizo for Nkobongo, Shayamoya, and Shakaskraal (wards 8, 28, & 23) as well as the wider, growing trend of disparity in municipal governance between communities to the east vs. the west of the R102, beyond their geographical location. Deeper and more sinister practices of municipal capture and the deliberate suppression of community voices have taken root, which can no longer be ignored.
In the higher income, ratepaying areas to the east, ward councillors are accountable to their constituencies. They hold regular ward committee and public meetings, where community members can voice their concerns and participate in decision-making processes. Municipal resources such as taxi ranks, libraries, and sports fields are open to all, promoting social cohesion and community development.
In contrast, the township areas in the west are governed by elected officials who adopt a culture of entitlement. When a councillor is elected, they seem to think they’ve been crowned king or queen, and municipal structures are locked away, accessible only to those with the right connections. The community becomes beholden to the councillor, rather than the other way around.
When the community in the east raises concerns or develops a petition, the municipality recognizes and responds to it. In the western areas, such petitions or memoranda are denied or ignored. Civil society is silenced, as seen in the recent Imbizo where the microphone was muted, and questions from certain individuals were not permitted. The public order police were quick to remove those who dared to speak up, bearing a chilling resemblance to apartheid-era suppression of free speech.
Civil action in the west is met with intimidation and repression. Bodyguards are instructed to silence those who speak up, and in some cases, activists are even incarcerated for exercising their rights. This is an abuse of the criminal justice system to serve the mayor’s own ends and undermines our local democracy.
When civil society in the east calls for municipal oversight, they receive a response and action. However, when civil society in the west does the same, their pleas are squashed by the Speaker of Council. This selective treatment is unacceptable and highlights the need for external intervention to restore accountability and good governance.
The mayor of a municipality sets the tone, through their leadership, of how government must interact with the community. A mayor must ensure that all legal requirements to inform and consult the public are met. They have a duty to uphold both the letter and spirit of the law. The current mayor has demonstrated that he has no desire to uphold the obligations of his office whatsoever. He either boycotts his responsibilities if they are inconvenient for him, as was the case with the Ballito and Salt Rock consultation, or he uses his bullies to suppress community involvement as was the case last week for Nkobongo, Shayamoya, and Shakaskraal.
Civil society on both sides of the R102 are united and stand together against this injustice. We therefore call for the mayor, Cllr Ngidi, to resign his roles as mayor and Councillor. Failing that, we call on the full Council, by a motion of no confidence, to remove this mayor and elect someone who will place the necessary focus on recognising the role of the public and the importance of service to the people of this municipality.
Isaziso esiqondiswe kumaKhansela kuMasipala wakwaDukuza:
Lesaziso esikhishwa namuhla siqondene nezehlakalo ezinganambitheki ezenzeke ngesonto eledlule ngolwesiBili ngomhla ka20 kuMay eMbizweni yeSabelomali sika25/26 IDP endaweni yaseNkobongo, eShayamoya, kanye naseShakaskraal (kuWard 8, 28, no 23) kanjalo nokusabalala komkhuba wokwehluka kokulawulwa kwemithetho kaMasipala phakathi kwezigceme ezingasempumalanga uma ziqhathaniswa nezangasentshonalanga noR102, kuze kudlulele ngaphandle kwezabelo zabo. Kunemikhonyovu ejulile yokuthunjwa kukaMasipala kanye nokucindezelwa kwezikhalo zomphakathi, esingeke sisakwazi ukuzishaya indiva noma ukukuziba.
Ezindaweni ezingasempumalanga, ezinabantu abame kahle ngokwesimo somnotho, abakhokha intela, ngamakhansela alawula izigceme zangakhona. Bavame ukuba nemihlangano yamakomidi amawadi nemihlangano yomphakathi, lapho amalunga omphakathi ephakamisa khona izikhalazo zawo abambe neqhaza ezinqunyweni ezithathwayo. Izibonelelo zomphakathi, njengezikhumulo zamatekisi, imitapho yezincwadi kanye nezindawo zokudlala zivuleleke wonke umuntu, ukuze kuchunyiswe ubumbano emphakathini nentuthuko yomphakathi.
Umehluko, amalokishi angasentshonalanga alawulwa yizikhulu eziqokiwe ezivama ukuzinikeza amagunya angekho emthethweni.
Uma ikhansela liqokiwe liba nokuzitshela ukuthi lithweswe umqhele wobukhosi noma wobundlovukazi, bese kubuyiseleka ecaleni izakhiwo zikamasipala, kube nokwenzelela kulabo abasondelene naye. Umphakathi uzithola kufanele uncetheze ekhanseleni okunokuthi kube yilona elinakekelayo elisebenzela umphakathi.
Uma umphakathi ongasentshonalanga uphakamisa izikhalazo noma uhlanganisa isinxuso zawo, umasipala uyaziqikelela abese ebaphendula.
Ngasentshonalanga lezinxuso noma uhla lwezikhalazo ziyachithwa noma zizitshwe nje. Umphakathi wezakhamuzi uvalwa umlomo, njengoba kubonakele embizweni esanda kubakhona lapho umbhobho wokulalelisa uvele wacishwa, okwenze ukuthi imibuzo yabantu abathile ingavunyelwa. Amaphoyisa akade eqaphile kade eshesha ukususa labo abebezama ukukhuluma, isimo ebesibuyisa umuzwa ohlasimulisayo ofunze loko okwakwenziwa ngesikhathi sobandlululo kucindezelwa ilungelo lokukhuluma.
Umnyakazo womphakathi ngasentshonalanga uhlangabezana nokusabisa nengcindezelo. Abavikeli bezikhulu batshelwa ukuthi babavale umlomo labo abazama ukukhuluma, kanti kokunye, labo abayizishoshovu bayabanjwa baboshwe uma bezama ukusebenzisa amalungelo abo. Lesenzo siyaphambana nobulungiswa ukuze kufezeke izinhloso zikasodolobha kucindezelwe intando yeningi lendawo.
Uma umphakathi wangasempumalanga ucela umasipala azobahlolela isimo, uyithola ngokushesha impendulo nomyakazo. Kodwa uma umphakathi wangasentshonalanga wenza okufanayo, izicelo zabo ziyacindezelwa nguSomlomo woMkhandlu. Lolubandlululo alwamukelekile, kanjalo ludinga ukuhlangatshezwa ngamandla angaphandle ukuze kubuyiswe ubulungiswa kanye nolawulo olufanele .
USodolobha kamasipala nguyena okhomba indlela, ngobuholi bakhe, okubalula ukuthi uhulumeni kufanele axhumane kanjani nomphakathi.
USodolobha kumele aqinisekise ukuthi yonke imithetho yokwazisa nokuxhumanisa iyahlangatshezwa. Banesibopho sokuhlonipha nokuqikelela yonke imininingwane yomthetho. LoSodolobha okhona usekhombisile ukuthi akazimisele nakancane ukuqikelela imigomo yesikhundla sakhe. Izibopho zakhe uyazigwema ngamabomu uma zingezuhambisana naye, njengoba kwenzeka lapho kwakufanele athamele imbizo yokubonisana yaseBallito naseSalt Rock; kwesinye isikhathi usebenzisa amabhoklolo akhe ukuze kucindezelwe izidingo zomphakathi njengoba kwenzeka ngesonto eledlule eNkobongo, eShayamoya naseShakaskraal.
Umphakathi kuwo womabili amacala eR102 ubumbene futhi umi ndawonye ekulweni nokungahlonishwa kobulungiswa. Ngaloko simi ngazwi linye lokuthi uCLLr Ngidi kufanele esule esikhundleni sakhe sokuba nguSodolobha nokuba yiKhansela. Uma engakwenzi loko, sifuna uMkhandlu wonke, ngesiphakamiso sokungathembeki kwakhe, ukuthi umsuse loSodolobha bese ukhetha umuntu ozoba nomnako odingekayo wokuqikelela iqhaza lomphakathi nokubaluleka kokusebenzela abantu kuMasipala.
Abasayinile,
KwaDukuza Organized Residents Alliance (KORA)
Ubumbano lwaBahlali bakwaDukuza (KORA)
ENDS
Stephanie Walker, Executive Officer, DOCRRA
064 737 2269
stephanie@docrra.co.za
www.docrra.co.za
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