KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has assured the residents of Nongoma that the provincial government remains committed to facilitate the speedy delivery of water, roads and houses, and to completing some unexpected project delays in the area.
Dube-Ncube was speaking during the province’s Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) Cabinet Day, held recently, where the province’s MECs addressed various service delivery concerns and unveiled projects throughout the Nongoma Local Municipality.
Dube-Ncube said the OSS gives the leaders an opportunity to listen without mediation, to the voices and concerns of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Premier unveiled the Bhuqwini Rural Housing Project, which will deliver 300 houses in Ward 17. The R49.4 million project will also see the employment of at least 60 people and 20 being trained as National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 2 builders.
Unveiling the project, Dube-Ncube said they have introduced the contractor to build houses and urge the community to take care of the project and to make sure that the houses are not vandalised.
“When we deliver houses as the Government of KwaZulu-Natal, we are implementing the Freedom Charter which says there shall be houses, security and comfort for all,” Dube-Ncube said.
The Premier also undertook to facilitate the repair and maintenance of Royal Palaces some of which are said to have fallen into disrepair due to lack of regular attention.
“We value the institution of traditional leadership as the glue that holds our communities together as the custodian of our customs and traditions. The Palaces are an important part of our history and we will ensure that for years to come, this heritage is protected for generations to come,” the Premier said.
Various MECs and senior government officials also visited other projects and centres to deliver dignified services to the community.
Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC and Government Business leader, Siboniso Duma, visited the R19 million Maphophoma Milling, which is owned by a co-operative and funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The MEC committed the provincial government support for the co-operative to access more land and to increase their maize production.
He said, the provincial state agencies, including Agri-Development Agency, ITHALA and the KZN Growth Fund, will also ensure access to funding for the co-operative.
Duma also visited the pedestrian bridges that are currently being constructed by Transport and Defence Departments.
Finance MEC, Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni, visited the Casukile Primary Co-operative run by a group of women who manufacture toilet papers. Nkonyeni committed the provincial government to fund the co-operative members’ training on business skills, branding of their products and sourcing new markets for their products.
Nkonyeni also encouraged the Nongoma Local Municipality to buy locally manufactured goods in order to grow the local economy.
Over 20 speed points were donated to Ward 19 businesswomen, in a bid to encourage them to grow their businesses and create more jobs for the locals.
Sport, Arts and Culture MEC, who is also Zululand Cabinet OSS Champion, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, visited the Buxedene Clinic where the toilets are not in good working order and have no computers, forcing personnel to capture data manually.
Mahlaba announced that Road D1880 which runs from Bhekumthetho to Ncemaneni will undergo an upgrade to install blacktop, and that the contract has already been advertised with an award expected to be finalised soon.
In addition to the housing shortage, Nongoma faces other challenges, including water, taxi-related killings, revenge murders, unemployment, teenage pregnancy and Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), which Provincial Cabinet promised to urgently attend to.
The Premier said the departments, working with local government will soon return to the Nongoma Local Municipality, in order to follow up on all the challenges identified during the OSS engagement.