Loafing and laziness in municipalities will be a thing of the past if Thamsanqa Ntuli, chairperson of SA Local Government Association in KwaZulu-Natal, has his way.
Addressing villagers under the eNtembeni tribal authority which forms part of Mthonjaneni local municipality, Ntuli unleashed a tirade accusing municipal workers of sleeping on the job.
“If we are serious about service delivery and improving people’s lives, we can no longer accept mediocre and poor performance from those employed and paid to do work. If people feel they do not want to do their jobs, they must leave and give others a chance,” he said.
He pointed out that while workers employed in government departments and various municipalities always escape accountability for failing to discharge their duties, politicians are always on the firing line.
“People judge us harshly as politicians if we are unable to perform. If I fail to deliver, in 2026 people will vote me out.
“Despite being unable to do their jobs, workers are always recycled with each and every political administration that comes. We are doing things differently and we will not reward mediocre,” said Ntuli to a loud applause from the crowd.
He was speaking in his capacity as the IFP mayor of King Cetshwayo district municipality, where he also handed over tools of trade to youth- and women-owned cooperatives.
These included livestock, sewing machines and gardening services to assist the cooperatives in commencing their work. According to Ntuli, cooperatives are a future of job creation for rural communities.
Mthonjaneni, with its municipal seat in the rural town of Melmoth in northern KwaZulu-Natal, will hold a key by-election on Thursday next week.
Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to be one of high-profile ANC politicians deployed in the area to canvas for votes.
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