The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaDukuza has written to the Director for Public Participation, the Office of the Speaker and the Municipal Manager following the concerning fact that only 19 out of 27 scheduled public meetings on the annual draft budget and Intergrated Development Plan (IDP), have taken place.
With the public participation process now closed, we are demanding clarity on how these communities were consulted on the draft budget process.
These imbizos are not ceremonial niceties. They are the few remaining spaces where residents — many frustrated by poor service delivery can engage leadership and demand answers. Yet time and again, the mayor has either cancelled these engagements at the eleventh hour or avoided them altogether, choosing instead to prioritise other appearances far removed from his statutory obligations, like a ceremonial appearance at the KZN Sports Confederation engagement (view image here).
Leadership is more than just a title; it is a duty owed to the people. In KwaDukuza, that duty appears to have taken a back seat as Mayor Ali Ngidi continues to neglect one of the most crucial platforms of public accountability. His absence is not just a scheduling issue, it is a symbolic rejection of his mandate. When the mayor fails to show up and listen, he sends a message: That the voices of the people of KwaDukuza simply don’t matter and your vote is only useful once every five years.
KwaDukuza does not need a mayor who appears with a bloated security detail and brandishing luxury brands, only when the ribbon needs cutting or when the cameras are rolling. It needs a leader who stands in the dust with our people, who listens, who takes responsibility. The people of KwaDukuza are not optional diary entries, and the Democratic Alliance will continue to demand that the mayor remains accountable to our people.