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IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Political stability essential for Durban's ambitious targets, says Mayor Xaba
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba has called for political stability at an administrative level; otherwise, the city will not be able to achieve its targets. Image: Independent Media Archives eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba has called for political stability at an administrative level; otherwise, the city will not be able to achieve its targets Xaba was unpacking the budget for the 2025/2026 financial year at a business breakfast held in Durban on Wednesday. The municipality has a R70 billion budget, which is made up of an operating budget of R63bn and a capital budget of R7bn. Xaba also spoke of the water and sanitation turnaround strategy, which has been adopted by the council and approved by the National Treasury. He said the electricity unit is also undergoing the same process, and will be followed by the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW). 'The ultimate goal of these reforms is to have self-contained utilities that are able to render these basic services in the most effective and efficient manner,' Xaba said. Xaba, who had outlined multimillion-rand investments in the city, called for a collective effort from all stakeholders for the city to reach its targets. Addressing the guests and municipal management, and looking towards city manager Musa Mbhele, Xaba said: 'The city will not be able to achieve all of these things under the administration you lead, city manager (Musa Mbhele), there are upheavals.' Looking towards Mbhele, Xaba added: 'We need your team to cooperate with you to deliver on these achievements, and for me as the political head, it is to ensure that there is political stability in the city.' Xaba went on to say that politics and business are two sides of the same coin. He then used the French expression "tête-à-tête" which means "head to head", but in English, it refers to a private conversation between two people. During the previous budget consultations, businesses raised concerns about the unaffordability of tariffs as they exceed inflation, which negatively impacts the cost of doing business in the city and service delivery. Xaba said the consultative process was not just a box-ticking exercise, but a genuine effort to deliver a budget for all eThekwini residents. The tariff increases for the 2025/2026 financial year are as follows: Domestic water tariff: +13%, Water tariff for business: +14%. The average property rates: +5.9%. Domestic and business refuse removal: +9% Electricity: +12.72% Bishop Vusi Dube, of eThekwini Community Church (ECC), said the interfaith structures can play a role in the city with moral regeneration, which also seeks to address drug abuse and homelessness. Other speakers were concerned about community health centres, crime, undocumented people in the inner city, and water issues. Xaba acknowledged that a great deal must be done to revive the city centre and briefed guests about the implementation of the inner city regeneration programme. 'Through this bold initiative, we want to improve public safety, address the challenge of homelessness – eradicating bad buildings, upgrading public realms, patching potholes, and ensuring that streetlights are on.'
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Informal settlement residents recall 2022 flood damage
THE ongoing heavy downpour is a constant reminder of the damage and heartache that was caused by the April 2022 floods. The flood resulted in widespread destruction, loss of life, and displacement of many residents in KZN. The residents in the East and West Quarry Road Informal Settlements said seeing hundreds of houses being washed away will stay in their minds for a long time. Also read: Severe flooding hits Durban roads Despite people losing their homes and belongings, resident Menzi Mthethwa said they will forever be grateful for the warning from the Palmiet River Watch (PRW) Flood Alert group. The Palmiet River Watch is a community-driven initiative established in May 2013. It formed the Palmiet River Watch Flood Alert Group on October 17, 2018 with a mission to protect the growing number of residents in the floodplain from the dangers that lurked in the waters. 'It saved hundreds of lives, 245 shacks washed away and I dread to imagine the number of people that could have lost their lives if we were not alerted early.' Mthethwa said they received the warnings the day before. 'It was a challenge trying to convince the community to abandon their homes. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was a harrowing experience. The rain started around midday on April 11; we tried to get people to evacuate their homes, some of them moved out and as the day progressed it started getting bad and more people heeded our plea for them to move. 'I remember standing in the dark, with pouring rain, around 02:00 looking at houses being washed away; some people sought shelter at a service station,' he said. Also read: Families relive traumatic experiences in the floods Mthethwa said they were promised that they will be moved to a safer place but nothing has been done. 'We can not sleep when it rains. The worst part is that the heavy rains always surface around the Easter holidays. We can not go away and visit our extended families or go to church services as we are afraid that we will come back and all our belongings will be washed away,' he said. Averting the worst Lee D'Eathe, founder and champion of the Palmiet River Watch, said the anniversary of the floods of April 11, 2022, serves as a poignant reminder of the lives that were forever changed. 'As the stormy night unfolded, the Palmiet River Flood Alert WhatsApp group sprang into action, consciously disregarding the erroneous forecasts and instead relying on the Severe Weather and Information Centre SA's high-level warning. 'With thousands of lives at risk, the group's prior warnings prompted the residents of East and West Quarry Road Informal Settlements for 'total evacuation' of their homes, averting a catastrophic tragedy.' Also read: Damage to KZN companies estimated at R7bn after floods In the midst of chaos, D'Eathe said communications went dark, leading him to fear the worst. It turned out that powerlines had snapped as homes were washed away. 'Heroes emerged, braving the raging waters, they formed human chains, bravely guiding their neighbours to safety. The pouring rain pounded down as they watched, helpless, as hundreds of homes vanished into the floodwaters.' The Westville resident said the toll would have been far greater if the Palmiet River Watch Flood Alert Group had not taken decisive action. 'The community's trust and compliance with the warnings saved many lives, showing the strength of unity, and resilience. The story echoes the heroic tale of the Padavatan Six, who, in 1917, saved 176 lives during the Natal floods. The community's bravery serves as a beacon of hope and selflessness in the face of disaster,' he said. For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
