Category: News

KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka has condemned the brutal murder of a sitting councillor in the eThekwini metro which took place last night in uMlazi.

Reports received by the department indicate that Cllr Bheki Phungula, who is eThekwini Ward 84 councillor, was brutally killed in his home in uMlazi last night by unknown assailants. This heinous act comes at a time when the province and country are facing a medical emergency which requires all public representatives, including councillors, to join in the fight to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“The loss of yet another foot soldier leaves a void in the sphere of local government in our province. An attack on councillors by forces that are hell-bent on undermining the democratic institution of local government within our province will never be tolerated. We therefore call upon the law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to find the perpetrators of this cowardly act so that they can face the full might of the law,” said Hlomuka.

Hlomuka has expressed condolences to Phungula’s family and his colleagues in the eThekwini metro. Hlomuka has also called upon community members to come forward with any information they may have that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Hlomuka will be visiting the Phungula household this afternoon at 14:00 to pay his respects.

KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka has urged the province’s 54 municipalities during the department’s virtual Munimec meeting to plan for a post-lockdown recovery in their respective jurisdictions to ensure that the lives of residents and business return to normalcy as soon as possible once the current restrictions have been lifted.

“Before we look to the future, we must first acknowledge that as local government stakeholders we have also achieved, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, that our municipalities have continued to function and that basic services have been delivered to our communities whose welfare depends on the regular provision of water, electricity, refuse removal and the like,” said Hlomuka.

At the same time, Hlomuka acknowledged that keeping the water taps and electricity meters running the lockdown did not come without a hefty price. The general economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt by our municipalities with a resultant non-payment factor given the financial distress felt by communities and businesses. The revenue impact on municipalities has been significant.

Nowhere else is this more evident than in the province’s economic hubs namely eThekwini, Msunduzi and City of Mhlathuze where revenue collection through services such water, electricity, and rates are under pressure.

“In order to ensure uninterrupted supply of water in particular and electricity going forward, our municipalities need to revive their revenue collection and to do that, they need to do everything in their power to stimulate their local economies for the benefit of residents and businesses. To achieve this, we need far-reaching and wide-ranging plans a post-Covid-19 era of socio-economic recovery” said Hlomuka.

Today’s virtual Munimec meeting was designed to reflect upon the latest developments and emerging key policy matters impacting on governance and effective service delivery in KZN’s municipalities as the province continues to fight the spread of Covid-19 in its communities and as it begins to look beyond the current measures towards a Covid-19-free future in the sphere of local government.

“Our state of readiness for the Covid-19 free province must include well-functioning municipalities with a strong political and administrative leadership, characterised by stability. This implies functional councils and oversight structures, a consistent spending of capital budgets with no monies returned to the national fiscus, clean audits and sound financial management of our public funds,” said Hlomuka.

Today’s Munimec agenda covered a wide variety of topical issues, from the Local Government Post-Lockdown Recovery Plan to policy items, such as job creation through EPWP, to long-term planning issues, such as the Provincial Master Plan. Munimec’s focus was also be on practical initiatives such as Action plans towards clean audits or the newly launched District Development Model.

KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka today officially launched a R10-million project that will seek to revitalise the Shayamoya Township in the Greater Kokstad local municipality. Under this project 70 young people have been hired through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to rebuild access roads across the township which is home to 30 000 people.

This investment by the department is part of efforts to assist municipalities in their recovery following the economic slowdown caused by the measures aimed at stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus, which have placed severe constraints on their revenue collection.

“As a department, we are committed to investing in the revitalisation of our townships and small towns through our Small Town Rehabilitation Programme. This investment into the municipality ensures that infrastructure is built and maintained, which has the potential of attracting further investments,” said Hlomuka.

Through this project, the municipality is constructing pavement layers, kerbs, channels for storm-water drainage, new storm-water drainage and relocation of water mains. In the implementation of this project labour-intensive methods are being utilised.

In his address during the launch Hlomuka urged the workforce to utilise this opportunity as a stepping stone to further develop themselves in their respective fields.

According to the Greater Kokstad Mayor Cllr Mtolo, the municipality has hired local graduates who specialise in fields, such as engineering, who will be taking part in the revitalisation of the Shayamoya Township

KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka has sent condolences to two families in Nquthu where a 3-year-old and a 44-year-old died this morning of smoke inhalation following the prolonged inhalation of smoke from a traditional heater (imbawula) fuelled by charcoal.

As a result of these incidents, which took place in Ward 14, four people are receiving medical attention at a local hospital. Reports received by the department indicate that the two neighbouring houses kept their traditional heaters overnight to keep warm. Hlomuka has wished those who are getting medical attention a speedy recovery.

Hlomuka has also called upon residents across the province to exercise great caution when using traditional heaters or generators to stay warm during this cold winter. Earlier in the week, the South African Weather Service issued a warning about cold temperatures which are expected to continue through the week.

“It is important that we all practise caution whenever we use izimbawula or generators. The tragic incident in Nquthu is regrettable. We do not want to see unnecessary loss of life in our province as a result of smoke inhalation, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic which is already putting pressure on our health facilities,” said Hlomuka.

Hlomuka has dispatched disaster management teams to provide relevant support to the affected families.

KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka has called for calm following the reports of positive Covid-19 cases at the Mthonjaneni local municipality offices in Melmoth, Northern KZN.

Hlomuka has assured residents that this incident will have minimal impact on service delivery within the municipality as staff are continuing to work from remote environments while proper measures are being implemented to sanitise the building.

The Department of Cogta, under the leadership of MEC Hlomuka has been working with all municipalities in planning for such occurrences. This has been done with the aim of ensuring that if ever any cases arise service delivery is never hindered.

Hlomuka has called for communities within the Mthonjaneni local municipality to remain calm as qualified health practitioners are assisting the municipality in tracking and tracing any Covid-19 contacts.

“We are appealing for calm at this important time when our country is being tested. The sphere of local government in the province has been at the forefront of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus with a number of measures, which include the deep cleaning of public spaces on a regular basis, the promotion of virtual council meetings to limit exposure of councillors, utilisation of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant towards Covid-19 related issues, the deployment of additional water tankers (22) and Jojo tanks (3000) to municipalities to bring water closer to communities and schools. We will continue to support municipalities in all these efforts,” said Hlomuka.

This year our country marks 44 years since the Soweto uprisings – a turning point in the fight against apartheid. The scenes of students being shot at drew attention across the world to the reality of the life Africans were subjected to under the apartheid government.
The photo taken by the late Sam Nzima of Mbuyisa Makhubu, carrying the lifeless body of Hector Pietersen away from the scenes of utter chaos is a case in point. This picture still evokes many emotions in many of us.
It is also a reminder to many that would dare to take the freedom we have today for granted. The freedom that is enjoyed by the youth of today came at a price. The Soweto uprisings were a key pillar in the foundation of our democracy. They exposed the brutality of apartheid to the world.
As we mark 44 years since that fateful day, we have to pause and reflect as a nation on lessons the youth of today can learn from the class of ’76. I am under no illusion to assume that the circumstances that faced the youth of ’76 were the same as those that face our youth today. To borrow from the words of political philosopher Frantz Fanon, “each generation must discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it, in relative opacity”.
Today’s youth are living in a world that has been shaken by the outbreak of the coronavirus. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen economies across the world contract as a result of the slowdown in economic activity due to lockdowns implemented in many countries to stop the spread of the virus.
In the midst of lockdowns, we have witnessed how technology has been crucial in ensuring that education is not compromised at both primary and tertiary level. We have seen countries like South Korea seamlessly move to online education to ensure that their young people are not impacted by the efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
The response by our government has been swift through fiscal policy aimed at protecting human life and sheltering our fragile economy.
The steps taken by the Higher Education Sector under the leadership of Minister Blade Nzimande in response to the Covid-19 have been exemplary. The rollout of laptops to tertiary students funded by NSFAS, which is to take place shortly, is an incredible move in the right direction for the country.
This, coupled with the zero-rating of local education content across the country’s networks, will ensure that young people can never be deprived of education.
The globalised world in which our youth find themselves is constantly demanding of them to be global citizens who are adept and aware of advancements in technology and how technology can affect their chosen career paths. The youth of South Africa can never be viewed in isolation but are in effect competing against the youth from other countries in staking their claim and making an impact in the world.
We have seen many young people step up to this challenge of representing our country on global platforms and showcasing that the South African youth are as capable as their Chinese or South Korean counterparts.
Two young South Africans that come to mind are Dr Sandile Ngcobo, who at the age 33, invented the world’s first digital laser. The second is 31-year-old Siyabulela Xuza who in 2007, at the age of 18, entered into the International Science and Engineering Fair, where his project, “African Space: Fueling Africa’s quest to space”, won awards in the energy and transportation sector.
Both Ngcobo who hails from Pietermarizburg and Xuza who hails from Mthatha embody what the class of ’76 had fought for. The current efforts being made by the government in embracing technology in both the classroom and universities is a giant leap in the right direction.
The post-Covid-19 world should not be something that strikes fear into the hearts of our young people. With every challenge comes an opportunity. The South African youth of today are equal to the task that lies ahead in the knowledge-based economy that we are trying to create.
Every sphere of government, especially local government, has been deeply impacted by technology. Our municipalities rely more and more on knowledge, information and high skill levels so that they can better serve our communities.
The youth of today, need to make the most of every opportunity that is provided by the government. Let this year’s Youth Day, celebrated at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, be an opportunity to reflect on this.

Opinion piece by KZN Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka this morning visited schools in the deeply rural municipality of uMzimkhulu under the Harry Gwala District where he assessed the rollout of water and Covid-19 compliance following the opening of schools that took place yesterday.

Last month the department of Cogta deployed 22 additional water tankers to Water Service Authorities across the province in efforts to beef up their capacity to deliver water to communities and schools.

In his visit to Emaus High School, Emaus Junior Secondary and Mzokhanyo JSS, Hlomuka was accompanied by members of the Provincial Legislature; Hon T.V Xulu, Hon M.J Mazibuko and the Mayor of the District Cllr Nxumalo. The delegation met with the principals and members of the School Governing Body as part of the assessment of the functionality of the schools and their readiness to commence with teaching.

In these engagements, MEC Hlomuka urged the management of the schools to ensure that they liaise with the District Municipality to ensure that static tanks located at the schools are filled with water regularly.

The department of Cogta has been instrumental in facilitating engagements between the department of education and municipalities to ensure that schools across the province have adequate water as the province and country battle against the spread of Covid-19.

To download 2020/21 Budget Policy Speech click here

KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) will be fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath with a capable, ethical and developmental local government in the 2020/2021 financial year, according to its MEC Sipho Hlomuka who tabled the department’s annual budget of R1.879 –billion in a virtual sitting of the Provincial Legislature today.

“We have been supporting municipalities with cleaning of public places and facilitating Covid-19 awareness campaigns and distribution of hand sanitisers. To ensure municipal funding for Covid-19, we have facilitated the settlement of government debt owed to municipalities. We have also supported municipalities in revising their budgets to include Covid-19 allocations,” said Hlomuka.

KZN Cogta has acknowledged that the impact of Covid-19 has hit the province’s economy hard both in the formal and the informal sector. The department has provided wide-ranging support to the province’s 54 municipalities in ensuring that informal traders in particular do receive relief as per the pronouncements made by the national government.

“We have also formulated a Recovery Plan to support the recovery of local government post-lockdown. It is based on five pillars, namely, governance, finance, basic service delivery, performance management and the brand new District Development Model. We are now engaging with all 54 municipalities to develop their own customised Post-Lockdown Recovery Plans,” said Hlomuka.

To mitigate the possibility that many local industries might close down post Covid-19 and the ensuing job losses, KZN Cogta will ensure that municipalities will be supported with infrastructure development and measures to support surviving industries, attracting investment and reducing the Red Tape. The department will also facilitate completion of infrastructure, especially water infrastructure projects.

“As important as the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is at the moment, it cannot detract from our long-term vision of creating a capable, ethical and developmental local government in KZN. As we continue to mould our municipalities and traditional institutions in this fashion, we are already seeing the benefits of this transformation in our Covid-19 interventions,” said Hlomuka.

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