UMLALAZI MUNICIPALITY MAYOR

CLLR Q.T XULU

Inaugural Speech: Mayor, Umlalazi Municipality Friday, 19 November 2021

Honourable Speaker

Leadership of Inkatha Freedom Party Members of the Exco and Council

Members/ Leadership of the Faith-based organisations IEC

Business Community Sanibonani,

The people of Umlalazi have listened to the call by Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and responded positively. These are people who have been deprived their right to be listened at for ten consecutive years. We are humbled by these two critical stakeholders vote of confidence in me and my colleagues elected today to serve in the executive committee and full council.

Colleagues, this is a challenge and a test on our ability to govern. This is a challenge and a test on our ability to change the IFP manifesto into a reality. Indeed, the time for the IFP to work for you as promised starts now, today.

Honourable Speaker, the people of Umlalazi have unequivocally and unapologetically pronounced that they trust the IFP. They have indicated through the right and convenient democratically process that they need the IFP to lead them. These people have had a feel of being led by the IFP, they really know how it feels. I am talking about people who know Umlalazi better, being a municipality with a population of about 223 000. They know that about 51% of them are between the ages of 15 and 64, meaning that these people are active be it in school, workplace or within the communities. Our communities know that about 20% of people aged 20 and above never attended the school.

The documented challenges are known to you and ruin your lives on daily basis. We submit ourselves to you and can safely say that challenges or no challenges, we will be working with you to change your lives for better. It would be doomed of us to deviate from the promises we made to you, more especially because you have shown that you trusted our promise. Therefore, the development in Umlalazi must flow in the following 10 points approach:

1.   We must lead with Integrity

People of Umlalazi must get value for the trust that they put on us. We will therefore keep our promise of being the servants of our community, accounting for our actions and being responsive to the needs of the people.

2. People/ Community Empowerment

We will do everything in our powers to provide the community with the relevant skills required in the job market. The basics that must be done immediately are:

• Funding the students on their entry to the higher education
• Providing the youth from all wards with driver’s licenses

3.   Creation of food security

The youth and women of Umlalazi will be prioritised in the cooperative development. The focus will be on agricultural cooperatives in subsistence agriculture in the entire area of the municipal jurisdiction for the purpose of feeding needy families

4. Creating working partnership with traditional leadership

Traditional leadership is the key in coordinating development in Umlalazi being the municipality with 14 tribal authorities. Apart from Amakhosi who sit in the council, they will be consulted continuously on matters of development

5. Making safer communities

Our community is definitely aware that safety & security is not our competence as a local municipality. However, as a coordination structure, we will ensure that there is proper awareness within our communities on protecting the vulnerable. We will enforce the synergy between the municipal protection services and the SAPS.

6.  Building homes

We will have continuous engagement with the provincial department responsible for housing. By doing this, we will have an opportunity to monitor the housing processes and ensure that its done in a dignified manner.

7.    Looking after your health

Your health is our priority; therefore, we will monitor the provision of health facilities as one of the needs prioritised in our IDP.

8.   Provision of Clean Water

We are positive that, for some reasons, the district municipality being the water service authority will be easily accessible and approachable. The issue of water provision in the entire district has been a challenge for the past two terms of the council. However, we will handle this with utmost urgency that it deserves and the community will have sustainable clean water.

9.   Lighting up your life

The entire 46 953 households of Umlalazi Municipality must have electricity by the end of this term of council. Apart from challenges affecting the entire nation where Eskom switches us on and off anytime, we will provide the uninterrupted power to households and businesses. We will gradually introduce free public wi-fi in all the municipal facilities.

10.   Building the next generation

We strive to invest in shaping the future of our children; therefore, we will provide facilities for crèches and sports.

Honourable Speaker, we will not demand to be continuously trusted by the people of Umlalazi but we will work for the community in order to earn the trust

I thank you,