The Honourable Mayor, Cllr Xolani Ngwezi launched a programme aimed at strengthening the fight against illegal dumping. The initiative was launched in Esikhawini during the past weekend, where large amounts of illegally dumped waste were removed, particularly waste that had been discarded next to municipal skips instead of inside them.
Through this programme, the Mayor aims to ensure that residents of the City of uMhlathuze live in clean, safe, and healthy environments. Maintaining clean neighbourhoods is essential for the wellbeing of communities and for preserving the beauty of the city.
Therefore, the Mayor appeals to residents who continue to dump waste illegally to refrain from doing so. He encourages residents to make proper use of the municipal skips by placing waste inside them or, alternatively, using designated legal dumping sites (Empangeni Dumpsite). Residents are reminded that dumping waste next to skips contributes to environmental pollution and creates health risks.
The Mayor further calls on community members to play an active role in keeping their neighbourhoods clean. He urges residents to report illegal dumping and those responsible for it by contacting the City’s toll-free number: 0800 222 827.
Illegal dumping continues to cost the City millions of rands every year in clean-up operations funds that could otherwise be used for service delivery and community development.
The City assures residents that this mayoral programme will reach all areas affected by illegal dumping. We call on all residents to work together with us in protecting the environment, stopping illegal dumping, and making our city clean and beautiful.
A Traffic Awareness Programme was rolled out at Tehillah Primary School to educate learners about the importance of road safety and responsible behaviour as pedestrians.
The initiative aims to empower young learners with knowledge on how to stay safe on the roads and to build a culture of responsible road use from an early age.
The City of uMhlathuze is embarking on an extensive programme to install high-mast lighting infrastructure across many wards within the city. This initiative is aimed at addressing areas with little to no access to public lighting, ensuring that darkness in these communities becomes a thing of the past.
The installation of high-mast lights is part of the City’s ongoing dedication to enhancing public safety and improving visibility across the municipality. Sufficient lighting is essential for preventing crime, ensuring pedestrian safety, and fostering an environment conducive to economic activities, especially during the evening hours.
This initiative aims to enhance the quality of life for residents by establishing safer, better-lit, and more secure communities. The rollout also reflects the city’s commitment to fair service delivery by focusing on wards and areas that have traditionally faced inadequate or insufficient lighting.
The following areas will benefit from the installation of high-mast lights under this programme:
* Ntambanana (Wards 32 & 33) – 2 high-mast lights
* Mecekane (Ward 31) – 1 high-mast light
* Ngwelezane (Wards 27, 28 & 29) – 3 high-mast lights
* eNseleni (Wards 5 & 6) – 2 high-mast lights
* Dlangezwa (Circle, Ward 34) – 1 high-mast light
* eSikhaleni (Wards 16, 20 & 22) – 3 high-mast lights
* Empangeni (behind the taxi rank, Ward 24) – 1 high-mast light
* Mandlanzini (Ward 4) – 1 high-mast light
* Mzingazi (Ward 1) – 1 high-mast light
* Richards Bay (next to Bayside Hospital; John Ross/RBIDZ intersection; and Western Arterial/John Ross intersection, Ward 2) – 3 high-mast lights
The City of uMhlathuze remains committed to building safer, brighter, and more inclusive communities. Through the installation of high-mast lighting, the City is taking decisive steps to ensure that residents can live, work and move freely in environments that are secure, dignified and well illuminated.
The City of uMhlathuze joins the world in commemorating the life, leadership, and enduring legacy of King Cetshwayo kaMpande, a significant figure in the history of the Zulu nation and a symbol of African resistance, unity, and pride.
King Cetshwayo is remembered for his courageous and principled leadership during a defining period in our history, particularly for his role in protecting the sovereignty, dignity, and independence of the Zulu Kingdom. His leadership, most notably demonstrated during the historic Battle of Isandlwana, where the Zulu nation defeated colonial forces, stands as a powerful reminder of the strength that lies in unity, discipline, and commitment to one’s people.
The city mayor, Honourable Councillor X Ngwezi, says the city is deeply rooted in the history and cultural heritage of the Zulu Kingdom, the City of uMhlathuze reaffirms its responsibility to protect, preserve, and promote this rich history for present and future generations. The legacy of King Cetshwayo continues to inspire the City to uphold the values of courage, resilience, justice, and respect for cultural identity.
While King Cetshwayo defended his people through strong leadership in wartime, the City of uMhlathuze honours this legacy within a contemporary democratic framework by fostering good governance, ethical leadership, and services tailored to the community's needs. In our modern context, the spirit of the Battle of Isandlwana is reflected in the City’s ongoing battle against poverty by attracting investors to create sustainable job opportunities, empowering and developing individuals in need, and invigorating the local economy across various sectors to ensure inclusive growth.
The City remains committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness so that all residents receive what they rightfully deserve, quality services, inclusive development, and a government that places the needs of its people first, as King Cetshwayo would have wished for his nation.
The city mayor further emphasises that the values embodied by King Cetshwayo, unity, protection of the people, and just leadership, remain central to the City’s governance approach. He also reiterates the City’s commitment to leading with integrity and to building a City that serves its people with dignity, fairness, and respect.
As the City commemorates King Cetshwayo kaMpande, the City Mayor invites and encourages all residents to actively participate in the commemorative activities. These include the commemoration at Esikhaleni Senkosi on 15 January, as well as the event in Eshowe on the same day. Further details and programmes will be announced by the District Municipality. In addition, on 22 January, residents are invited to join His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at Isandlwana for the main commemoration.
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