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IOL News
29-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Mayor faces backlash from Umkhanyakude Youth League over arrogance and funding issues
ANC Youth League secretary Makhosonke Maphanga in Umkhanyakude District Municipality has accused ANC district Mayor Siphile Mdaka of refusing to recognise the youth league leadership. Image: Supplied Umkhanyakude District Municipality Mayor Siphile Mdaka has been accused by the regional youth league leadership of arrogance. Image: Supplied The newly-elected ANC Youth League regional leadership in Umkhanyakude, north-east of KwaZulu-Natal, has accused the district Mayor Simphile Mdaka of arrogance and refusing to recognise them as the new leadership of the youth league. Since it was elected in March, the youth league said it has been trying to set up a meeting with Mdaka, who is also the ANC regional chairperson, however, the mayor has been ignoring them. 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 ✕ The league's regional secretary, Makhosonke Maphanga, said the league is disappointed at the mayor's conduct, accusing him of behaving like an opposition while he is a leader of the ANC. Maphanga said that as the regional secretary, he has sent several letters to the mayor and the municipality leadership requesting a meeting, but to date, the league's pleas have been ignored. He said the only time the mayor responded to them was when he asked them to meet him at the funeral of a car accident victims, saying to show respect, the youth league chairperson attended, despite not understanding the nature of a meeting at a funeral. He said after the funeral, the mayor got in his car and left without talking to the youth league chairperson. Maphanga said the league wanted to raise several issues affecting young people in the region, including the municipality's shocking decision to allocate R50,000 to the youth programmes in his office in the current financial year. 'Since 2021, the young people have been complaining about the lack of funding for youth programmes under the mayor's leadership because of a poorly funded youth office, which has been allocated only R50,000. It is absurd that any right-thinking mayor can expect that R50,000 will champion youth development for five years. Which municipalities have done this? This is clear sabotage of youth development by an ANC mayor,' said Maphanga. He said the youth have identified tourism and agriculture as the sectors where they can find job opportunities. In their meeting with the mayor, they wanted to ask for money to organise training for the youth as waiters and waitresses in hotels and particularly in the Mfolozi/Hluhluwe Game Reserve, which is the second biggest game reserve in the country. 'As disciplined members of the ANC, we have followed all the necessary protocols to raise the issues internally, however, we have been ignored. Now we do not know what to do, but we are hoping the provincial leadership of the ANC will rein in this arrogant mayor,' said Maphanga. Mayor Mdaka did not respond to the questions sent to him on Wednesday; however, the ANC provincial spokesperson, Fanle Sibisi, urged the youth league to utilise internal platforms.
The Citizen
30-04-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
District municipality sends TLBs to flood-ravaged Khula Village
Umkhanyakude District Municipality on Wednesday rushed to mobilise and deploy TLBs to Khula Village outside St Lucia, to assist with the deluge experienced due to disruptive rain. District Mayor Siphile Mdaka on Wednesday morning said this is the area that was identified thus far as being hardest hit. ALSO READ: Lowest annual rainfall in 8 years 'As you will know, parts of that area are wetlands so that is where rain will settle, but we will send TLBs to assist,' said Mdaka. He added that he was working to rope in the Department of Human Settlements to assist in Ndumo, Jozini where last week severe weather conditions left homes destroyed and one person dead. 'We are working on assisting the family of the deceased with burial efforts where we can,' said the district mayor. Meanwhile, Khula Village Councillor Ntokozo Mlungwana sympathised with community members who were adversely affected by the downpour. Mlungwana visited sections of his ward, which were severely affected by the rain, engaging with residents to find solutions. There were reports of inundation in the village's neighbouring ward, Dukuduku, with residents struggling to enter or leave their homes. The R618 between St Lucia and Monzi was also flooded. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
