Latest news with #MzimkhuluThebolla
IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Msunduzi Municipality warns residents about consequences of unpaid services
Msunduzi Municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla tabled the city's budget on Wednesday. Image: Supplied Residents of Msunduzi Municipality in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, have been warned of the consequences of continuing to refuse to pay for services, such as water, electricity, and rates. Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla issued the warning when he tabled the city's R18 billion 2025/2026 budget on Wednesday. Out of this budget, R9.6 billion would focus on service delivery, while R8.5 billion would be on operational expenses. He said the city had encountered an increase in electricity theft through illegal connections. 'Our Operation Qoqimali (collect the bills) Campaign is about stopping the prevailing culture of non-payment. 'The electricity theft is a crime, like all forms of illegal connections, a criminal offence,' he said. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Thebolla said the city loses tens of millions of rand in revenue per year, which he said was a theft of revenue that is much needed to enhance service delivery. 'We call for this practice to stop because to combat this, we will continue to work with the community and law enforcement to arrest the offenders and impose hefty penalties.' He said the city was now prepared to adhere to the residents' demand for better service delivery. 'This budget has been crafted with your (residents') concern at heart, focusing on the service delivery priorities. 'This would include improving public electricity lighting, stabilising power supply, reducing water losses, and safeguarding vital infrastructure. 'In formulating this budget, we have ensured that it is based on a financially sound plan and stabilise the city's finances while prioritising service delivery,' he said. Thebolla said capacitating revenue collection work streams to support the Operation Qoqimali Campaign would help the city to stabilise its finances. 'The project management office has been established to take charge of each aspect of the city's revenue value chain. 'This includes rolling out prepaid electricity meters, dispatching bills, resolving disputes, and implementing credit control and debt collection measures such as issuing summons against debtors,' said Thebolla. He said the court was in support of the city's effort to deal with people who were ignoring paying for services. 'That is why we have already issued 40,000 letters of demand to defaulting customers who run up high service bills and fail to pay the city.' He said the municipality had been forced to increase tariff by external elements such as the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), which authorised Eskom and municipalities to increase electricity cost by 13.32% from July 1, and the Umngani/Uthukela Water Board, which proposed 15% increase of water tariffs for 2025/26 financial year. 'These adjustment factors in inflation include a margin dedicated to the infrastructure upgrade and maintenance, which is essential to alleviate pressure on aging and over-stretched electricity infrastructure. 'These adjustments are necessary to ensure sustainability, reliability and continued investment of service delivery,' said Thebolla. He said the city has employed 400 workers through the Expanded Public Works Programme to go house-to-house to identify indigenous homeowners to be exempted from certain charges. 'So far, we have 5,978 people benefiting from the programme, and we aim to reach even more. 'To make this possible, we have increased the household income threshold to R6,110, ensuring that more low-income families access this vital support,' he said. During a media briefing, Thebolla said the construction of the Integrated Public Transport Networks (IPTN) project to transform the public transport system, which was left unfinished in 2022, while it was supposed to be finished in 2021, would soon continue. He expressed disappointment upon taking office in 2019 when the city was removed from the Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) programme. 'We have worked tirelessly since then, attending to all the challenges that the Department of Transport and the National Treasury cited as the reason for the removal of Msunduzi from that requirement. 'We are very excited to announce that we have now been re-accepted, which comes with its terms. There is R45 million that is set aside for mainly critical projects,' he said.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Msunduzi Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla outlines budget plans to stabilise finances, boost economy
Msunduzi Municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla tabled the City's budget on Wednesday. Image: Supplied Msunduzi Municipality mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla has committed his administration to addressing key challenges faced by the municipality, stabilising its finances, and growing the city's economy. The mayor tabled the City's budget for the 2025-2026 financial year on Wednesday. The budget comes as the municipality is operating in a financially challenging environment, including that it owes R2 billion to uMngeni-uThukela Water and Eskom. Addressing the council, the mayor said, 'In formulating this budget, we have ensured that it is based on a financially sound plan that will stabilise the City's finances while prioritising service delivery for all.' He added that one of the core priorities is to stabilise the City's finances, and this can only be achieved by capacitating their revenue collection work streams to support the Operation Qoqimali campaign. 'A project management office has been established to take charge of each aspect of the City's revenue value chain. This includes rolling out prepaid electricity meters, dispatching bills, speedily resolving disputes, as well as implementing credit control and debt collection measures, such as issuing summons against debtors. 'We have already issued almost 40,000 letters of demand to defaulting consumers who run up high service bills and fail to pay the City. We thank those who have been paying their bills on time and in full, and we call on those who have not to make payment arrangements or apply to the Affordability Committee for debt relief,' he continued. 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 ✕ He emphasised that it is important for the public to be aware that electricity theft is a crime and that all forms of illegal connections are a criminal offence. This is not a faceless crime; electricity theft costs the City tens of millions in lost revenue per year. 'This is stealing much-needed revenue from the City and denying fellow residents enhanced service delivery. To combat this, we will continue to work with communities and law enforcement to arrest offenders and impose hefty penalties,' said the mayor. 'The budget speech we are tabling today seeks to sustain the momentum we have built in accelerating the shared growth of our economy, creating new opportunities for employment through service delivery and fighting poverty, building healthy and safe communities, deepening democracy, and building an effective and caring municipality. 'Msunduzi is the home of a dream that refuses to die, a dream that says tomorrow must be better than today. The same faith that carried us through the darkness now fuels our pursuit of renewal and progress. For 30 years, we have built, we have endured, and we have risen. We are a city that carries the weight of history and the hope of the future. We are the home of heroes and heroines, of liberation songs and labour anthems, of sorrow turned into strength,' the mayor concluded. THE MERCURY
IOL News
21-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Msunduzi ratepayers demand action against corruption and political interference
The 2025/2026 IDP-Budget Public Consultations were held at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall. Image: Msunduzi Municipality Msunduzi ratepayers believe that while the city is trying to boost tourism, political interference, corruption, and nepotism hamper progress in the functioning of the municipality. Anthony Waldhausen, the chairperson of the Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics (MARRC), remarked when he provided his input during the Integrated Development Programme (IDP) draft budget consultation process held at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Saturday. The mayor, Councillor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, led engagements with stakeholders to present the draft budget for the 2025/26 financial year, which is currently in the consultation stage. Thebolla encouraged residents, businesses, and stakeholders to submit their inputs and share their views on service delivery, development programmes, and projects. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ With regard to tourism, the Msunduzi Municipality (MM) is expected to create an Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) company to address the needs of property owners in its managed precincts to enhance the environment, improve property values, and attract investment. The municipality is looking to enhance the entrances to the city of Pietermaritzburg (PMB) to attract tourists. Also in the pipeline is a Pietermaritzburg Walk of Fame, where tourists will be eager to see and learn about the heroes who contributed to the liberation and freedom of South Africa and Pietermaritzburg. To promote the municipality as a smart city, the Freedom Square will offer interactions between citizens and businesses, including free Wi-fi. The MM proposes to build an Mbawula architectural installation in Langalibalele Street to honour the Struggle and triumph over the apartheid regime. Thus far, the MM has received 3,330 emailed submissions, of which 2,450 emails had the same content, which included the poor condition of the roads, tariff increases, and unchecked electricity theft for which ratepayers were unfairly penalised. Diane Chetty, a concerned resident, said businesses in the PMB CBD were closing because there was no walk-in trade due to crime. She asked the municipality to consider diverting money for the rejuvenation of Freedom Park to crime fighting. Chetty said the city infrastructure was vandalised previously, and unless crime is sorted out, future projects will also face similar challenges. Waldhausen said the MARRC supported the initiatives by the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to assist and support the Msunduzi Municipality through the premier's Msunduzi Working Group. 'The Section 106 forensic investigations into the municipality, which are long overdue, will uncover the high rate of corruption and mismanagement by most politicians and municipal staff. The budget consultations will not become a reality if we do not address the political interference and high levels of corruption,' Waldhausen said. He said the municipality needed to acknowledge MARRC submissions, otherwise there could be a legal challenge if this is not complied with, and could make the IDP and budgeting processes illegal and flawed. Waldhausen suggested that, due to the continued poor performance of municipalities, it is proposed that municipalities move towards a business approach in order to facilitate socio-economic development. 'We look forward to contributing towards a positive process that would be beneficial to all and make our city a success. The IDP can be regarded as a continuous improvement project that is primarily concerned with creating value and benefits, in the form of socio-economic development of communities. 'It is essential to track and report on progress made with the implementation of IDPs by using management tools such as the balanced scorecard," Waldhausen suggested. Anthony Waldhausen is co-founder and chairperson for the Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics (MARRC). Image: Supplied
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Msunduzi mayor faces backlash over failed public fan park for Nedbank Cup final
Msunduzi Municipality mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla has apologised to Msunduzi residents after the city failed to host a public fan park for the Nedbank Cup final. Image: Supplied Msunduzi Municipality mayor, Mzimkhulu Thebolla, has blamed a service provider for the city's failure to set up a public viewing area in Pietermaritzburg for the Nedbank Cup final which was hosted in Durban this past weekend. Thebolla has come under severe criticism after the city failed to set up public viewing area for the game between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, despite making a commitment to do so. The city had initially said the fan park would take place at City Hall. Fans were further outraged when pictures circulated of Thebolla seated in the VIP suite at the Moses Mabhida Stadium during the game. During a radio interview on Monday, Thebolla offered his apologies for the failure to establish viewing areas in Msunduzi. 'We would like to apologise to our community. As the city, we thought we had done all that we could as the municipality in finalising the viewing area. It later turned out that the service provider had been double booked. We do not know when the service provider was intending to come back and set up the viewing area after they were done with their other job.' He stated that they will investigate what transpired and ensure that such a situation never occurs again. In a statement, the Municipality said the fan park was organised to broaden access to the iconic sporting event for everyone, particularly youth groups and those who could not make it to Moses Mabhida Stadium. Regrettably, it said the event did not proceed as planned, and many arrived at the venue unaware of the cancellation, leading to frustration and disappointment. 'We are deeply sorry for the confusion and the inconvenience caused, especially to those who made the effort to attend with their families and friends,' the statement added. The Municipality said it acknowledges the harm this incident has caused — not only to public trust but also to the reputation of the Municipality and the mayor, who it said has consistently championed initiatives that promote sport, youth development, and community cohesion. 'This unfortunate event does not reflect the Mayor's values nor his longstanding record of delivering inclusive, people-centred programmes. His unwavering commitment to using sport as a tool to inspire, unite, and uplift our communities remains resolute. As the Municipality, we fully accept responsibility for this incident. It is clear that this outcome is unacceptable, and we are treating it with the seriousness it deserves.' 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ 'An internal investigation has been initiated to determine what led to the failure of this initiative, and corrective action will be taken. To everyone who was affected, we extend our deepest and most sincere apologies. We understand the expectations placed on us, and we commit that such a situation will never happen again,' the statement concluded. THE MERCURY
