Midvaal SoMA highlights progress, challenges
During his delivery, the mayor emphasised the municipality's unwavering commitment to excellence, despite the economic and infrastructure challenges it continues to face.
Teixeira beamed with pride as he noted Midvaal's 11th consecutive clean audit, a debt-free record with Eskom and Rand Water, and the numerous accolades received in 2024, including three Golden Awards from PMR.africa and five South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Awards. These achievements highlight culture of good governance and accountability.
Despite declining revenue collection and infrastructure challenges, Midvaal has remained committed to community engagement through initiatives such as the Youth Summit, walking with the mayor, and social upliftment programmes including the Spread the Love campaign. The municipality also supports vulnerable residents via social relief packages and property rate rebates.
Teixeira stated that public safety remains top priority, with millions invested in surveillance and community policing.
'The Fire Services team reached over 13 000 residents through outreach and safety programs and added a 12 000l tanker to its fleet. The Traffic Department introduced tech-driven law enforcement tools and collaborated with SAPS on crime prevention.'
In Midvaal, Infrastructure upgrades continue, with R44 million allocated to roads and stormwater improvements.Teixeira reiterated that major focus for MLM has been economic development, with the formation of the Midvaal Investment and Business Retention Committee.
According to Teixeira, notable projects include the R370 million River Stone Mall and the R2 billion Heineken-Soufflet expansion.
Victor Antezana, Director of Xportes International hailed Midvaal as an investment hub because of its growth potential.
'Midvaal has the same characteristics as Cape Town which has a booming property market.'
He said that he invested his hard-earned money in this municipality which is at the beginning of a growth cycle. He predicted that the municipality is about to have explosive growth. Citing this as the reason for investing his hard-earned money in the municipality.
Antezana further said that he was happy that Midvaal is not amongst the municipality's that are said to be crumbling in South Africa. He congratulated the MLM for its continued excellence.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Erwic Awards crown SA's top women in construction
The 2025 Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction (Erwic) Awards celebrated the resilience, innovation and leadership of women transforming South Africa's construction industry. The sixth annual event took place on Thursday evening at the Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg, drawing industry leaders, government officials and media representatives to honour trailblazers in the industry. Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson opened the ceremony by recognising the courage of women who have overcome stereotypes in boardrooms and on construction sites. "Our goal is to advocate and equip women to compete in the open market and win, because they are capable, qualified and competitive. I believe it is possible and I will champion this for the remainder of my term,' said Macpherson. He highlighted the multiplier effect of women-led projects, including creating employment, stimulating local suppliers and creating infrastructure that enables further growth. He also noted that over the past year the department's expanded public works programme created more than 54,000 jobs, a 4.6% increase. Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) CEO Bongani Dladla described the awards as a celebration of women who were not just participants in the sector but catalysts for change. "Whether women are starting and running their own companies or being appointed in senior positions in companies building the country, the Erwic Awards highlight the transformation and empowerment they bring to the built environment.' Dladla applauded the finalists for reimagining leadership in construction, from upgrading rural water schemes to delivering clean energy and safer construction sites. "Building like a woman means bringing resilience, innovation and empathy to every project. Through these efforts we have started to change the culture of the industry,' said Dladla. CIDB chairperson Khulile Nzo echoed the sentiment, emphasising transformation was a movement, not an event. "I am proud to see that the CIDB's programmes are creating real opportunities for emerging female contractors, supporting their growth and ensuring they have a seat at the table where decisions are made.' Nzo highlighted the impact of the flagship Build Programme, which has trained ,ore than 260 women contractors in construction management systems, with a further 200 set to follow next year. The 2025 Erwic Awards recognised outstanding achievements in 15 categories, honouring women at every level of the construction value chain: Project Delivery Excellence (Grade 1): Nondumiso Amanda Ceba — Sky City Project, Milano Estate Project Delivery Excellence (Grades 2-4): Lindiwe Mathenjwa — Maintenance and construction of toilet facilities, Eastern Cape Project Delivery Excellence (Grades 5-6): Makoma Julia Matlala — Construction of 36 walk-up units, Obed "Mthombeni' Nkosi Extension 2 Project Delivery Excellence (Grades 7+): Suzan Portia Phalane — Tlaseng Roads and Stormwater Drainage Rural Project of the Year: Makoma Julia Matlala — Same as above Interior Design & Build Project of the Year: Caroll Masevhe — Daveyton Mall Retail Academy Specialised Project of the Year: Sharon Isaacs — Fencing of Boland TVET College Mentoring Entity of the Year: Avenir Holdings Transformation Entity of the Year: Sue Phalane Trading and Projects Innovative Entity of the Year: Dingwedi Renewable Energy Professional Entity of the Year: Zimile Consulting Engineers Manufacturing Entity of the Year: Isubisiso Holdings Youth-owned Woman Construction Entity of the Year: Econocom 47 t/a Qualicon Construction Woman-owned Construction Entity of the Year: GD Projects and Construction Woman Mentor of the Year: Mampho Sotshongaye — Each One, Teach One initiative Woman with Disability Contractor of the Year: Taryn Beaton — Standard Bank Water Project Exceptional Woman in Construction of the Year: Mampho Sotshongaye — Construction of culverts and drains Chairman's Award: Allyson Lawless Lawless, retired structural engineer and industry stalwart, received the Chairman's Award recognising her lifetime contribution to industry development and mentorship. "The most satisfying part of my career has been to see young people develop; that's been my reward. This award is the cherry on top,' Lawless said.
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- The Citizen
Seconded municipal manager promises turnaround for yroubled Endumeni
Endumeni Municipality's new municipal manager, Advocate Nontebeko Khambule, says a 'fresh page' is being turned for the debt-ridden municipality, which owes Eskom over R300 million. Speaking at an Endumeni Chamber of Business meeting, Khambule described the number of empty shops in Dundee as 'disturbing' and stressed the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades. 'We must work with the Chamber of Business and community groups to stimulate growth and improve collections,' he said. He also reaffirmed his commitment to 'getting the basics right' — fixing potholes, restoring streetlights, and clearing storm-water drains — using municipal staff instead of costly tenders. Technical manager Mondli Buthelezi said 10,000 meters had been audited ahead of a roll-out of tamper-free smart meters. He confirmed that commercial users, not households, will face seasonal electricity tariffs in winter to align with Eskom charges. He warned that old electrical infrastructure is a major cause of outages. Finance manager Bonga Mkhize highlighted the R550 million unfunded budget and illegal connections as major challenges, despite a 92% collection rate. Endumeni Residents Association's Willie Steenberg welcomed the frank approach but noted that local rates remain higher than in other Northern KZN towns. Chamber president Alan Schonken urged stricter bylaw enforcement to curb illegal trading, public drinking, and pavement blockages. Khambule acknowledged the concerns and said that with a new management team in place, a turnaround is possible if all stakeholders work together. HAVE YOUR SAY: Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or email us at [email protected]. Add us on WhatsApp 071 277 1394
IOL News
13 hours ago
- IOL News
Over 100,000 homes in KwaZulu-Natal lack electricity access
KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi Image: Supplied by KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MORE than 100,000 homes across KwaZulu-Natal still do not have access to electricity. KwaZulu-Natal MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi revealed that in some parts of the province, there is still very low penetration when it comes to the provision of electricity. The MEC was speaking at an event for Eskom's National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) Indaba this week. 'According to the Department of Mineral Resources' Electrification Master Plan, which provides a detailed breakdown of electrification backlogs per local municipality at ward level, there were 112,704 households without access to electricity as of the end of March 2023. An estimated R2.25 billion is required to address this backlog,' he said in a statement. The department confirmed on Thursday that these figures were referring to KwaZulu-Natal. The MEC stated, 'UMkhanyakude District Municipality in the far north of the province has the lowest electricity access ratio at 84.37%, followed by uGu District Municipality on the south coast at 89.02%, while all other district municipalities are above 90%.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'To reduce the electrification backlog, municipalities were allocated a total of R359.7 million under Schedule 5B for infrastructure and electrification of 7,421 households in the 2024/25 financial year. Eskom's allocation for household electrification in the same period is R209.1 million, targeting 10,002 new connections. Given uMkhanyakude's high backlog, significant funding was allocated to the district, aiming to connect 4,462 households. 'While these are positive improvements in the mission to increase the number of households with access to electricity, we are aware of challenges that often delay electrification projects. Common issues include the demands for 30% subcontracting to local SMMEs, which sometimes lead to disputes if they are not properly managed. At times, there are also upfront payment demands from contractors; we have also been made aware of these issues. 'Community unrest, due to the limited scope of work, is also contributing to the delays. Last month, in Vryheid, under Abaqulusi Local Municipality, a community protested and threatened to stop the project in the nearby ward because they felt like they were left out. However, we understand that electrification projects are implemented in phases. There is also poor terrain and inadequate access in some rural areas, causing cost overruns. Additionally, there is resistance to removing illegal infrastructure even when permanent connections are ready. 'Our province's population is expected to grow in the coming years due to urbanisation and new developments that are emerging in different parts. To meet future energy demands, transmission projects have been planned and are being implemented by Eskom in phases to ensure a sustainable supply and support economic growth,' said the MEC. Buthelezi added that the transmission load forecast indicates that KZN's consumption will increase from just below 6 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to 7 GW in 2032, an average annual growth rate of 1.58%. He said some bulk projects have been delayed by labour unrest, but through Cogta's intervention, including war room meetings with stakeholders, significant progress has been made in this regard. The MEC said currently, there are major schemes that have been commissioned in the province as a precautionary measure to ensure a sustainable energy supply in KwaZulu-Natal. Eskom Middle Manager: Project Portfolio, Krish Govender, speaking of the importance of the gathering, said it was aimed at fostering more effective collaboration between the NTCSA, Eskom Holdings, government and entities. 'Reinforce our collective resolve to execute projects safely, efficiently, and with the highest standards of compliance - always in the best interest of the communities we serve.' THE MERCURY
