Report Back: Quarterly Dedicated Meeting with KDM Executives

DOCRRA is pleased to be able to provide feedback to the community from our quarterly meeting with the executives at the KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM).  The meeting took place on 17 November 2022, as scheduled, and was attended by a delegation of DOCRRA executive committee members as well as the executive directors of nearly all business units, the Speaker, the Municipal Manager and other leadership members.  The agenda of topics discussed was set by DOCRRA prior to the meeting and a list of queries was also supplied to individual Executive Directors (EDs) for comment.  As in previous meetings, the EDs provided detailed presentations which were shared and discussed, the highlights of which follow here.

Electricity

With regard to electricity, Executive Director Jali informed us that 26 new staff members have been approved by Council as well as additional overtime for superintendents which should have a significant impact on switching operations as well as fault finding.  New equipment is also expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2023.  Looking to the future, ED Jali also spoke about possibilities for sourcing alternative power generation capacity from the private sector and the need for a clear policy on this issue.  Substantial work is also being done by the newly established Revenue Protection Unit on verification and validation of meters and auditing of large power users.

Roads

Repairs and reconstruction of roads as a result of flood damage is an ongoing process.  The Manqomfini culvert project is starting and being funded by the national grant received for flood relief.  The Mjoza road has been completed and a contractor is about to be appointed to repair the N2 and the M4 bridge; the tender process for both is in progress under the auspices of SANRAL.   

Safety and Security

ED Viramuthu from Community Safety informed us that the development of a by-law enforcement unit is progressing well.  The requisite training for these new officers has been sourced and Council has been asked to approve an additional 8 officers for the unit.  We are delighted that this project is moving forward with strong support from the Municipality.  Once trained, these officers can be deployed as pointsmen, on our beaches and other areas where we require increased by-law enforcement capacity. 

The planning and preparation for the upcoming festive season has also been robust, joining together resources from KDM, the private sector, security companies, neighbourhood watches, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.  DOCRRA has pledged R20,000 to our partners at the Ballito and Salt Rock Neighbourhood Watches to assist over this critical period and as a gesture of goodwill considering our longstanding partnerships.

KDM Finances

We are awaiting the annual report for the 2021/22 financial year as well as the reports on the first quarter financials for 2022, however, we are pleased that 20% of the initial budget for the year has been spent in the first quarter.  Over-budgeting and under-spending have been issues for quite some time and it is good to see that they are being addressed.  Accurate and timeous billing of waste collection accounts remains a concern and a progress report on the interventions taken to solve this problem will be on the agenda for our first meeting in 2023. 

Next KDM Executive/DOCRRA Meeting

The first meeting in 2023 is expected to take place in February on a date to be mutually agreed upon.  Both DOCRRA and KDM leadership believe that these meetings are an invaluable platform for relationship-building, accountability and transparency.  We are ready to continue to foster open and honest communication for the benefit of our members and the Dolphin Coast community.