The Administration Section provides strategic administrative support to both Council and the administration of the municipality. The Section is made up of the following sub-sections, namely, Diverse Administration, Call-centre, Facilities Management, Secretariat, Records Management and the Airport.

CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE DESK

Primary functions:

• Attending to walk-in customers;

• Receiving applications for water and electricity connections;

• Distributing tender documents once they have been paid for;

• Registering new electricity meters;

• Directing customers to relevant officials, and;

• Attending to any general enquiries from the public.

CALL CENTRE

The Call Centre provides information to the public relating to any interruption of service delivery matters such as load shedding information, collection of waste, the location of Government Departments, contact numbers and any other general enquiries. The Call Centre attends to telephonic complaints using the toll free telephone system and operates twenty-four (24) hours, seven (7) days a week. In each month of the 2024/2025 financial year, queries were recorded as follows and then followed up for closure

SECRETARIAT SERVICES UNIT

Functions of the Secretariat Services Unit

• Providing administrative and secretariat support for all Council Committees;

• Scheduling all meetings of Council and its Committees, proof reading and compilation of all agendas, co-ordination of all reports that are created and submitted to Council for final approval as well as minuting of all meetings;

• Conveying Council resolutions to User Departments to ensure that resolutions are actioned accordingly;

• Providing support to internal committees (EMCO, Information Communication Technology Steering Committee, Enterprise Risk Management Committee etc.);

• Booking and control of venues for meetings, use of the Auditorium and Restaurant venues is also controlled and managed by this section, and;

• Supervising the operational activities of the reprography function.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT UNIT

The Records Management Unit ensures that municipal records are managed in line with the Records Management Principles outlined in the National Archives and Records Service Act 1996 and KwaZulu-Natal Archives and Records Service Act, No 8 of 2011.

Functions of the Records Management Unit

• Ensuring that the management of all the municipal records are in accordance with the records management principles contained in the KwaZulu-Natal Archives and Records Service Act, No 8 of 2011;

• Ensuring implementation and adherence to Protection of Personal Information Act (Act 4 of 2013) and Promotion of Access to Information Act (Act 2 of 2000);

• Handling all incoming and outgoing mail and is responsible for ensuring that there is proper records management in place, and;

• Circulating mail to the Deputy City Manager: Corporate Services for allocation to various departments and circulated to the City Manager to noting.

AIRPORT MANAGEMENT UNIT

The City of uMhlathuze as the licensed Aerodrome Operator of the Richards Bay Airport has a responsibility to ensure that all activities undertaken at the Richards Bay Airport are carried out in accordance with the applicable requirements prescribed in CAR Subpart 2 of Part 139.

This includes:

• Holding at least one complete and current copy of the Aerodrome Manual referred to in CARS 139.02.11, at the aerodrome and ensure that all procedures detailed in the Aerodrome Manual are complied with;

• Making the Aerodrome Manual available to the personnel who are required to carry out duties as specified in the manual;

• Ensuring compliance to all requirements and procedures as documented in the Aerodrome Manual;

• Ensuring that the aerodrome is maintained in a serviceable condition through evidence of an aerodrome license;

• Ensuring that the aerodrome is kept free of unauthorized persons, vehicles, or animals not under proper control, in compliance with Aviation Legislation in South Africa, Aviation Act No. 74 of 1962, and the relevant regulations, and;

• Ensuring that the facilities offered to the public are available and in a serviceable condition.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT UNIT

Functions of the facilities management unit

• Enhancing the quality of the Physical Facilities and this is achieved through planning, designs, engineering, construction and maintenance in a responsive service oriented, effectiveness and environmental conscious manner;

• Reducing cost, controlling risk, increasing flexibility, changing culture, Marketing and Public Relations Centralizing planning and management;

• Increasing collaboration between Departments;

• Establishing an enterprise-wide strategy master planning process;

• Conducting an inventory and assessment of current buildings / space;

• Ensuring municipal facilities comply with the OHS act and Building regulations, and;

• Overseeing maintenance and construction of municipal facilities on awarded contracts.