The residents of Tongaat were left angry when eThekwini Mayor Thomas Mxolisi Kaunda failed to attend the IDP and Budget public participation meetings in Tongaat on Sunday, May 21 2023.
The community came prepared to air their grievances with the mayor about his failed government.
To add insult to injury, the meeting started more than an hour late, with scant regard for people who arrived on time. In true ANC style, the failed party bussed in supporters by the dozens, plying them with T-shirts and food.
The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini notes that the Tongaat Verulam IDP and Budget public participation meetings were postponed twice with no plausible explanations.
Residents of Tongaat further scoffed at the flurry of activity by eThekwini staff, who were seen frantically cleaning streets and parks before the meeting, something that is rarely done in Tongaat.
The mayor must apologise to the people of Tongaat for his non-appearance and the shoddy services that residents receive.
The budget tabled was equally disappointing, with no money going towards rectification of the water network, bulk network, or sewer infrastructure in the area. This means that water and sewer woes will persist indefinitely.
All this while the ruling party seeks approval for an increase in tariffs.
The Democratic Alliance has a resounding mandate from residents of eThekwini to reject these tariffs. Close to ten thousand people have filed objections with the DA opposing the unaffordable and unjustifiable increases.
The ANC failed to collect a staggering R10 billion in debt or recover the R3 billion in annual water and electricity losses, which if recovered would keep tariffs to a bare minimum.