WELCOMING REMARKS BY CITY OF UMHLATHUZE MAYOR CLLR X. NGWEZI
ON THE OCCASION OF BUSINESS BREAKFAST WITH HIS MAJESTY KING MISUZULU KA-ZWELITHINI
BON HOTEL WATERFRONT, RICHARDS BAY
27 SEPTEMBER 2022
Hlanga Lomhlabathi!
Water and Sanitation Minister, Macingwane
Ecomomic Development MEC Duma, Mthombeni
Amakhosi aphakathi kwethu
Captains of Industries from across the City of uMhlathuze
Zululand Chamber of Commerce led by its president Ms Mvubu
Everyone present, according to your respective designations
Good morning
Hlanga Lomhlabathi, sizizwela sihlonipheke kakhulu ukuba sihanjelwe Isilo emhlabeni waso Isilo kulelidolobha lethu laseMhlathuze. We indeed feel very honoured and special to have you in our midst Bayede.
Our duty Bayede, is to make sure that as servants who have been sent by the people of this City, we make sure that the development of the lives of our people through service delivery takes place.
We do that guided by our vision as an aspirant metropolitan Port City focused on investing in quality infrastructure and service delivery in partnership with Traditional Councils, Communities and the Private Sector.
Let me mention this since we are honoured with the presence of Water and Sanitation Minister uMacingwane, as the City we have also been experiencing water supply challenges, especially at eSikhaleni Cluster which caters for up to 15 of the 34 wards of uMhlathuze.
Water provision has been a challenge especially at Esikhaleni, which consists of 15 wards and in the Amakhosi areas. Bayede we inherited a dysfunctional system infested by many historical protest actions.
Despite numerous sabotage incidences, we continue to provide clean running water to the citizens of eSikhaleni and other areas of Amakhosi.
I am quite happy Silo to report that in few weeks to come, we will be lifting up water restrictions as we have upgraded lake Cubhu. Most importantly, the completion of a 15 megalitre package plant which will see our people of uMhlathuze getting clean running water day and night.
Further to this Silo, we are investing a lot on our road infrastructure, robots and roads that are at traditional council areas. Yonke imigwaqo engaphansi kwethu njengoMhlathuze iyalungiswa, kanjalo naleyo engaphansi kwezindawo zamakhosi siyayilungisa. We have in fact challenged all industries in our City to each identify and adopt a 1km gravel or dust road under a tribal authority. Sifuna yileyo naleyo nkampani izisholo yona ukuthi iqoka umgwaqo ongaphansi kwayiphi iNkosi, bese kufakwa itiyela elingu 1km kulowo nalowo mgwaqo ozobe usuqokwe yimboni.
We will also be resealing roads that are under us and we want to implement semi-tar ezindaweni zamakhosi, already we have set aside R12 million for such projects, starting at Inkosi zungu.
Some of this great work we do in partnership with the private sector. South 32 for an example, has committed to funding 6 posts for traffic officers for a period of three years. These traffic officers will be assisting in controlling traffic, especially traffic caused by lot of truck transporting goods on our roads.
The challenge we have with some of our roads here is the fact that most of them belongs to the provincial or national government, and these roads are poorly managed and are not being taken care of. I am glad that I am saying this in the presence of MEC Duma here because we are very concerned about the poor maintenance of these provincial and national roads around our City. Therefore, if you see potholes on roads around here Bayede, uBayede must understand that most of them belong to the province and it is important to attend to these as they can derail our economy growth.
I am happy to report to Bayede that we work very well naMakhosi in this area, just last week, we met with captains of industries and amakhosi in this very place here, to ensure that local people abahlala ezindaweni zamakhosi benefit from the local economy so that they can protect the economy. We have given the business sector a challenge of ensuring that in every investment that takes place in the City, the locals, amakhosi nezinduna become part of it.
To show that we mean business here and we are working hard towards economic growth in the City MEC Duma, just two weeks ago, we re-opened the Richards Bay Airport which has been dysfunctional for close to two years now.
The commencement of flights in Richards Bay will be of positive value when it comes to growing business in the City. We have been working endlessly to refurbish the recently renovated airport. We can now warmly welcome all travellers, including business and leisure ones from Johannesburg and Bloemfontein.
Silo, we are currently busy working on a programme which will see us realizing a United Nations’ Safe City programs to safe guard our people and economy of our City.
Looting has shown us how vulnerable are our people and the economy that we continue to build and grow as a City. We would like to partner with the private sector to realize this project. Once the program is ready, we will convene captains of industries to pave a way forward for this.
With these short words, it is my pleasure to welcome Isilo ezweni laso, and to welcome all of you who have gathered here this morning for the betterment of the lives of our people.
You are all welcome.
Thank you
Ends.
