Address by the mayor of KwaDukuza at the occasion of the inaugural Masakhane Awards held at the KwaDukuza Town Hall.

Tonight, we gather to pay tribute to unsung heroes who have consistently shown exceptional dedication to serving the community. In addition, we want to ignite a conversation on payment for services, a communication aspect that is constantly ignored while government continues to deliver adequate service.

Through these awards aspire a fresh surge of unity that will cultivate the backing for development projects to be inspired by the Masakhane campaign in our continued endeavour to motivate all residents to contribute towards municipal services.

We accordingly want to recount stories of individuals who have exceeded expectations and those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to serving their community, as well as those who have generously devoted their time and effort.

Surely this platform serves a deserving recognition for the unsung heroes who have played a pivotal role in improving the lives of numerous children, activists who have shown compassionate support to the vulnerable in times of crisis, and the collective of volunteers who have contributed to restoring order, providing assistance, and instilling confidence to the people.

We recognise you for we know that some of your stories have remained in the shadows to many - as some of you have been working behind the scenes, making a difference in people's lives without seeking acknowledgment.

We delve into the identities of those who have quietly transformed lives and left an enduring impression on their communities. It is within their anonymity that their true strength resides, and it is this essence that we will celebrate by expressing our admiration for these local heroes.

Masakhane therefore calls upon the people and government to work as a collective towards building sustainable and enduring communities. I will be using this platform to ask for you commitments so that we are able to recover the large amounts of revenue that it is still owed to council.

Tonight you will learn of heart-warming stories of courage, selflessness, and unwavering dedication.

As we savor the benefits of democracy, it is important to recall the inequities of the past, during the time when essential services were withheld from the majority of citizens. Previously, our communities lacked access to running water and electricity. However, since the turn of 1994, we have witnessed significant progress within in previously neglected areas. Today, our people possess the freedom and opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with their government and ensure their voices are heard.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us go back the pages of history to re-tell what President Mandela stood for when he declared the Masakhane campaign in 1994.

In his words, Mandela underscores the concept of Masakhane as follows, “Each brick that is used to build a wall is the result of many people’s work. The laying of this brick symbolises the building of our nation by all of us working together. Let us all build together and let us build each other.”

I’ll therefore be quick to point out that the Masakhane was adopted during the transition from the Apartheid government to Democracy; it was adopted as a national campaign to encouraged people to participate in a new system of government which encouraged civil society and communities to serve as change agents in their areas.

The narrative of the Masakhane campaign is therefore embodied to the stewardship and in the legacy of Nelson Mandela as he understood that government alone would not carry the burden of the poor.

The primary goal of the campaign was to therefore encourage citizen participation in local government to successfully implement the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). This involved actively engaging the community in transforming the local government and improving service delivery.

As local authorities, municipalities are charged with the responsibility to provide for basic services to the people by means of refuse removal; to supply electricity, building and maintaining municipal roads, Maintenance of Storm water drainage, street lighting, maintenance of municipal parks and recreation, crime prevention, traffic control and maintenance of beaches amongst others.

KwaDukuza is one of the fastest growing local economies in the country with rapid urbanization. It is a secondary home, accommodating most business and government leaders within South Africa who in generating the much-needed revenue for the municipality to operate efficiently.

Most of the population is rural and located within the hinterlands of the municipality; this has been a result of the imbalances of the past which have led to gross inequalities between the rural and urban centers despite the advancement of our democracy into 30 years.

Significantly, tomorrow the 21st of March 2024, we observe Human Rights Day, where on this day 64 years ago, nations across the world observed the most appalling events in our living history. 

A total of 69 non-violent protesters were persecuted apartheid police for opposing apartheid pass laws which were designed to restrict and control the movement and employment of millions of Black South Africans.

It was such instances that the President‐General of the African National Congress (ANC) Chief Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela and other members of the ANC burned their passes in solidarity following this merciless event.

Accordingly, the moral outrage surrounding these events led the United Nations General Assembly to declare 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in recognition of racism as a gross human rights violation, to what is recognised in the South African calendar as Human Rights Day.

As we observe this occasion as South Africans, let us also reflect and campaign for the people of Palestine who continue to be tormented and killed by warlords of Israel. The bombardment of the Palestinians are a pitiful reminder of our very own history, and reminiscent of unforgettable encounters of the apartheid rule. 

During the dark days of apartheid, we recognise that solidarity played a crucial role, it is by connecting our endeavours that we may guarantee our message is heard by world that we condemn the abuse, and savagery that's executed against the blameless civilians of Palestine.

Ladies and gentlemen, South Africa will be marking 30 years since the historic election of 27^th of April 1994. The year 2024 presents an opportunity for South Africans and government to reflect on progress over past three decades – and an opportunity to assess challenges.

As we celebrate our achievements as a nation, we should be mindful of the fact that we have stood with the underprivileged, we have stood with the previously disadvantaged, and we continue to hold hands with those who are in search for better opportunities. In the course of the past three decades under the leadership of the current government, the life of a black South African has evidently improved.

Thanks to the leadership of Chief Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, President Mandela amongst others who steered the nations dream for social, political and political reforms.

Despite these reforms, the legacy of apartheid and previous mistakes still linger on especially if you would pay attention to the population of KwaDukuza.

There are still gaps between the haves and the have-nots (or the rich and the very poor) in terms of asset ownership, the general lifestyle, needs and wants of the population.

Managing such imbalances has been a major challenge since the majority of the population is unemployed and live beneath the poverty line.

Rural areas are marked by underdevelopment while the government continues to make efforts to equally deliver to the needs and demands of the people. We have been steadfast despite a number of challenges which have included the following:

·      Exclusionary human settlements where low-income earners relatively cannot afford to settle in opulent towns like Ballito or Zinkwazi.

·      Land invasions, causing tensions amongst the current property owners and informal dwellers amongst other challenges.

·      Energy loses, which have become a major stumbling block in terms of revenue generation and growth.

Investment Incentives: KwaDukuza has been working with the private sector in securing investment opportunities by creating an enabling environment for such investments to happen.

Our Indigent Policy has relatively empowered most disadvantaged communities. In the case for KwaDukuza, poor households receive free basic services, water, electricity, and waste removal and such has eased the burden of the poor. 

The implementation of the indigent policy has significantly reduced the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

We continue to strengthen communications with our stakeholders and communities and ensuring that local government leads the agenda for transformation.

KwaDukuza has significantly expanded its footprint to the rest of the world in terms of tourism and securing investments from further afield.

We believe in building strong integrated systems which are founded on the principles of trust and that which works for everyone in a bid to tackling several emerging challenges that are threatening our very existence and sustainable future. We therefore need to work hand in hand to do what’s best for society.

Certainly, we need to work in collaboration towards realizing our strategic goals and aspirations. Accordingly, this may only be achieved when we work together in promoting strong collaborations.

Ladies and gentlemen, with the roll-out of the Masakhane Campaign in January 2024, proved that working together we can achieve more. After the adoption of a multi-disciplinary Masakhane programme by council, we were on Tik Tok and other mainstream media for almost the wrong reasons.

True to its founding, the campaign was to increase participation of communities to contribute to the effective delivery of service through education initiatives and to ensure enforcement of council’s bylaws.

This campaign came out very strong and impactful. We appreciate the multi-disciplinary teams that were at work for ensuring that our communities pay for services and that they comply with municipal bylaws.

The offensive proved that more needs to be done on the law enforcement front due to intolerance and subsequent intimidation whilst acknowledging the privileges bestowed upon individuals by the Constitution and laws of the Republic.

We are pleased that this multi-disciplinary campaign successfully drew the attention of numerous wrongdoings, such as tampering with meters, non-compliance in business practices, and violations of food safety regulations. Some individuals who expressed their unhappiness through Tok Tok have come forward to admit their wrongdoings and have begun to face the consequences for their actions. This exemplified the genuine essence of Masakahane!

We are dedicated to maintaining the principles of justice, unfazed by any opposition that may arise from those who derive pleasure from disseminating false information on social media channels.

I commend the dedicated and resilient multi-disciplinary teams for their efforts throughout this campaign. Our commitment to spreading the message and enforcing the law remains unwavering until we achieve a positive transformation in our revenue generation stream.

I would like to announce that the Masakhane Campaign will be annual event in our calendar of activities due to its proven benefits. Despite some individuals spreading falsehood to media about the council spending R185,000 on organizing the Masakhane awards, I want to clarify that this is completely untrue and should not be misunderstood.

The organizing team will provide a detailed report on expenditure to be presented to the council. Indeed the approval was based on an estimate of the executive committee which set and approved such expenditure.

In my closing remarks, Programme Director, I invite everyone to join in the celebration of the dedicated work undertaken by both men and women who have significantly contributed to improving the community of KwaDukuza. Let us honour and acknowledge those individuals who have made us proud.

Let’s us cast our eyes towards an even greater future ahead with the Masakhane campaign. We hope this will strengthen our endeavours towards fulfilling our obligations and improving our service to the people.

I thank you!