After a year since the uPhongolo local municipality on the far northern KwaZulu-Natal was without a mayor who resigned citing safety concerns, the vacant position has finally been filled.
The IFP-led cash-strapped council was under scrutiny following the unprecedented resignation of ex-mayor Velephi Mavis Sikhosana.
In November last year, she stunned her fellow councillors when she haphazardly tendered her resignation through a handwritten letter.
But on Tuesday, councillor Bhekinkosi Thwala took over the reins and immediately promised that the winds of change would soon sweep through the rural town of uPhongolo.
“We are a struggling rural municipality with very minimal revenue collection. The municipality relies heavily on the conditional grants we receive from the Treasury.
“But we must make the most of the resources we have,” Thwala explained.
Strategically located
The uPhongolo local municipality is also strategically located, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It is also the gateway to Mpumalanga.
Thwala explained that under his tutelage he looks to leverage on this key feature to drive the local economy.
“There are many economic spinoffs we can benefit from through exploring trade areas between Mozambique and Eswatini and Mpumalanga province, which can directly boost the uPhongolo local economy,” he said.
The other crisis faced by the small council with 15 municipal wards that are predominantly rural is the water crisis.
The water infrastructure, which had been installed to provide ease to several households, has been left to age.
Despite the municipality under the Zululand district municipality blessed with an abundant water source through the Jozini Dam, the community is deprived of the precious resource that flies over its homes to the nearest farms, towns and cities.
But Thwala says he has a plan.
Usuthu Water Scheme
“We are pinning our hopes on the project known as the Usuthu Water Scheme headed by the Zululand district that it will ease some of our water problems.
“But we do acknowledge that many communities are suffering with water provision. We are not sitting idle; there’s a plan,” he explained.
UPhongolo relies on a budget of less than R 400-million.
Sunday World understands that at the heart of Sikhona’s troubles was that she had borrowed money from a businesswoman and promised to pay it back by giving her a tender.
She had apparently borrowed R80 000 from the businesswoman, Patricia Mafuleka, but never paid it back.
The aggrieved woman subsequently went to court seeking a court order to force Sikhosana to pay back the money.
The matter became a public relations nightmare for the IFP, and Sikhosana had no other choice but to fall on her sword.
