Latest news with #R35.7-million
The Citizen
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Former KDM mayor Lindile Nhaca expected to be reinstated this week
Former KDM mayor Lindile Nhaca expected to be reinstated this week The African National Congress (ANC) is expected to reinstate Lindi Nhaca as KwaDukuza mayor, less than eight months after her controversial exit. Sources within the ANC have told the Courier that Nhaca is the front runner for the mayoral election in Thursday's highly anticipated council meeting. Former iLembe District mayor Sduduzo Gumede is said to be the most likely candidate to be appointed as her deputy. This follows the resignations of mayor Ali Ngidi and his deputy Sicelinjabulo Cele earlier this month. The pair stepped down under mounting political and public pressure, stemming from a series of scandals and persistent service delivery failures. Ironically, Ngidi assumed office following Nhaca's own controversial departure at the end of September last year. Ngidi and Cele, who were elected just over a month later on November 5, tendered their resignations following a directive from the ANC, although they will remain in their roles until their successors are officially elected. According to ANC provincial task team co-ordinator Michael Mabuyakhulu, the recall decision forms part of the party's broader strategy of 'rebuilding and renewal.' Ngidi's brief tenure was dogged by controversy. Public dissatisfaction surged in the wake of multiple scandals, including a car hire debacle that saw more than R1-million spent on vehicles, along with a monthly personal security bill exceeding R173 000. Both Ngidi and Cele have been ordered to repay a portion of the car hire expenses, particularly those incurred before formal council approval was granted. The administration also struggled with a wave of crises including widespread and prolonged electricity outages, labour unrest involving hundreds of municipal workers and the embezzlement of R35.7-million in January. Multiple investigations into the municipality's affairs are currently under way, led by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). These probes focus on numerous allegations of mismanagement. Public frustration continues to grow, with civic organisations and residents demanding accountability and new leadership. The ANC had not responded at the time of publication. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below.
The Citizen
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
KwaDukuza mayor and deputy-mayor resign under provincial party pressure
KwaDukuza municipality mayor Ali Ngidi and deputy-mayor Sicelinjabulo Cele resigned this afternoon under pressure from the provincial African National Congress (ANC). The decision was announced at a briefing in KwaDukuza following the meeting of a high-level delegation of senior provincial leadership led by ANC provincial task team co-ordinator, Michael Mabuyakhulu. Ngidi and Cele had been in the roles for just under eight months after being elected on November 5 last year. They have both handed in their resignation letters but will continue to serve until new leadership is elected. 'The ANC has committed itself to rebuilding and renewal. We have said that we will act in the interests of our people and our decisions are informed by nothing else but the interests of our people,' said Mabuyakhulu. 'Anyone has the right to interpret our decision as they deem fit, but we are consistent in the message that we put our people first' The party had previously launched an investigation into misconduct allegations at KwaDukuza following a series of scandals, including the hiring of vehicles for over R1-million and a monthly personal security bill for the mayor of just over R173 000. Ngidi and Cele have been asked to repay a portion of the funds used for car hire. They will only settle the expenses incurred before council formally approved car hire for them. The mayor, who was supposed to use one of the cars as a backup, will also need to repay the expenses for that period. Aside from these scandals, Ngidi presided over a disastrous period for the municipality. During his tenure, the municipality experienced widespread electricity blackouts between December and February and the highly-publicised embezzlement of R35.7-million in January, as well as strikes from hundreds of workers more recently. Separate investigators from the Special Investigating Unit, Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) are all also on site in KwaDukuza to look into alleged mismanagement. Growing calls for resignation from civic society have added further pressure. Combined, it made for an incredibly difficult period in office for Ngidi after taking over from Lindile Nhaca, who was axed at the end of September last year. No date has been announced for the mayoral and deputy-mayoral elections, nor any replacement candidates. It took just over a month between Nhaca's suspension and the election of Ngidi and Cele last year. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
![Municipal worker protesters vow to continue marching until demands are met [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.citizen.co.za%2Fnorth-coast-courier%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F73%2F2025%2F06%2FKDM-strike6-Medium.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
The Citizen
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Municipal worker protesters vow to continue marching until demands are met [WATCH]
Traffic in Ballito was grid-locked for about an hour this morning as striking municipal workers demonstrated, vowing to descend on the town's Nokukhanya Luthuli municipal building daily. Represented by the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), the group marched from the Ballito Taxi Rank, disrupting mid-morning traffic flow and littering Ballito Drive with anything they could find in a show of frustration over stalled salary upgrades and unresolved labour disputes. At the heart of the protest is the demand for the full implementation of a Grade 5 salary structure, a classification Samwu says has already been approved and budgeted for. 'We demand that the municipality implement the Grade 5 salary scale for all employees. We also call for the completion of job evaluations that began back in 2012,' said the union's local secretary, Nkululeko Dladla. Workers are also calling for consequences over the R35.7-million municipal fraud scandal and the suspension of top officials, who they claim are shielded from accountability. The protest follows similar action in KwaDukuza's CBD in May, and workers say they won't back down this time. Despite the formation of a labour task team, no tangible progress has been made, according to the union, which also criticised the absence of key municipal directors from labour forum meetings. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Municipal workers to strike in Ballito on Monday
Hundreds of Samwu-affiliated municipal workers are expected to march in Ballito on Monday, June 30 while on strike. This according to Samwu (South African Municipal Workers Union) KwaDukuza secretary, Nkululeko Dladla, who said the action comes as a result of previous strike demands not being met. The march is expected to begin at the Ballito Taxi Rank at 8am and finish at the KwaDukuza municipal (KDM) building opposite the Ballito Clinic on Leonora Drive where a memorandum will be handed over to the municipality. However, KDM spokesperson Sifiso Zulu said the municipality had received no formal communication from the union about the strike. Meanwhile, iLembe district police communications official, Priya Nunkumar-Bukum, said Umhlali Saps is aware of the proposed strike and confirmed there will be additional officers, including public order police, on the ground. Residents should still prepare for major traffic delays and potential lane closures. Motorists are encouraged to use alternative routes where possible. According to Dladla, frustration among municipal workers has been growing since the last Samwu strike, which lasted for four days between May 5-8. Over that time, some local beaches did not have lifeguard protection and some areas in the north of KwaDukuza had no waste collection service. 'We went on strike and handed over our memorandum, but we have not received all the answers we needed,' said Dladla. 'That strike was suspended because negotiations were taking place. Since we are not reaching agreements on some of those issues raised, workers decided to take it to the streets.' Samwu's demands from the previous strike include: Implementation of a 2022 council resolution to align all municipal salaries to Grade 5. A reduction in the working week from six to five days. Accountability for the R35.7-million stolen during an embezzlement scandal in January. The suspension of municipal manager Nhlanhla Mdakane, whom the union accuses of failing to implement adequate cyber security measures. The union gave the municipality until July 1 to act on these demands and claims they were not sufficiently met. At the time, Zulu said the municipality would defer to decisions on municipal grading made during national bargaining agreements. In a full sitting of council on Thursday, June 26, it was revealed that some progress had since been made in negotiations between the South African Local Government Association (Salga) and municipal unions at the national bargaining committee. At talks on May 28-30, the parties agreed that one system of categorisation should be used for senior managers and employees, with further details still to be negotiated. The parties also agreed to consult '21st-century remuneration experts' to develop new salary and wage scales. According to Salga, further negotiations are set for July 29-31. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Big Docrra AGM turnout points to growing civic momentum
More than 200 residents rallied at the Salt Rock Country Club last week seeking a stronger voice in local governance. The event, hosted by the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (Docrra), underscored growing civic momentum on the North Coast, with residents increasingly engaged in shaping the future of their communities. Docrra chairman Deon Viljoen reported an 85% increase in revenue, with about R500 000 in reserves, although expenses had also risen by 50%. The re-election of all committee members was uncontested. He highlighted growing membership, increasing public engagement and Docrra's continued efforts to address municipal governance, infrastructure and financial accountability. The organisation grew from 23 to 34 estate members in the past year, and with individual homeowners included, now represents nearly 7 000 members. Viljoen was critical of KwaDukuza mayor Ali Ngidi, accusing him of disrespecting residents and undermining the rule of law. He suggested leadership changes at KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) could be coming, citing a R35.7-million fraud and embezzlement case currently under investigation by the Saps Hawks, opened in January. 'We know a leadership change is imminent at KDM. We don't have to wait until 2026, something is going to happen before then,' said Viljoen. He said Docrra's approach was to apply pressure on the municipality, but with the aim of co-governance is a way to engage constructively,' he said. Viljoen also noted that R2-billion of KDM's R3-billion budget comes from Docrra-aligned estates and organisations. 'When the penny drops with the municipality oversight organisations, they give us the time and listen to us,' he said. COO Mary Kassam hosted a panel discussion featuring Viljoen and subcommittee chairs Brian Pottinger (environment) and Flip Helberg (electricity), who addressed environmental concerns and the National Energy Regulator's audit of KDM. The evening's keynote address was delivered by KwaDukuza Residents Forum chairman Warwick Chapman, who urged residents to vote strategically in upcoming elections, especially in Ballito's Ward 6 and 30. 'Real change is within our grasp,' Chapman said. 'Changing voting patterns is not simple, but it's essential. It's okay to change your vote to get the right kind of government.' Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
