The City of uMhlathuze has identified a number of areas that requires serious interventions to make service delivery more effective. City officials begun the process of the anticipated Area Based Management system at eMpangeni CBD by inspecting each and every road identifying a number of areas of intervention ranging from open culverts, water pipes on the ground, litter, illegal trading and illegal structure, malfunctioning street lights, etc.

Next stop is Richards Bay CDB and all the townships as well as problematic areas identified by inspectors. The roll out will be continuous and teams will be deployed as and when required throughout the year.

The City seeks to kick-start the Area Based Management system to improve coordination between sectoral departments of the municipality government and other agencies. Successful implementation of the Area Based Management will drastically improve the day to day management and maintenance of the urban environment including addressing service delivery failures.

Through this programme, the City will be able to also improve the bylaw education and enforcement as part of creating clean, safe and functional urban environment.

The implementation of this programme will begin with block or area inspections to determine service failures, plan and mobilise required resources and materials and culminate into the multi-disciplinary team operations.

The Area Based Management programme has been successful and proven to be effective in big city in South Africa such as eThekwini. Service delivery teams to tackle service delivery failures through Area Based Management are, Roads and Stormwater Management, Water and Sanitation, Parks, Waste Management, Electricity, Public Participation, Economic Development Facilitation – Street Trading, Sport and Recreation (If there are facilities in the targeted blocks/quadrants), Halls (If there are facilities in the targeted block), Public Safety, Community Works Programme (CWP) and EPWP.

Team of officials from the above sections inspected eMpangeni CBD and already identified some challenges and now planning the interventions as part of the process.

Please provide comment on the Third Review of the 2017/2018 - 2021/2022 Spatial Development Framework by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 May 2020