Durban — The MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, also ANC chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal, heaped praise on the ANC's “achievements” during his spirited debate at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.
Duma, who is also Leader of Government Business, said Thursday's sitting “gives us the opportunity to reflect on what the ANC has done over the past 30 years of our freedom in terms of carrying forward their dreams of building a better future.”
His address came amid ongoing challenges, notably the water shortages affecting various cities, including eThekwini, resulting in a series of protests by residents and ratepayers associations.
Said Duma: “Through the ANC, more than R100 billion was invested in water treatment plants, water storage, water supply, and sanitation projects. This includes the repair and maintenance of these facilities.”
Duma told the Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) that the ANC has provided homes to needy families by building more than 662 065 houses over the past 30 years.
One of these projects, he said, was the Vulindlela Rural Housing Project, with an investment of R2.4 billion.
The ANC is part of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KZN alongside parties such as the DA, the IFP and the NFP, a power-sharing deal formed after the ANC failed to retain its outright majority after plunging from 54% to 17% during the May elections.
Reflecting on the province's storied history, Duma said the monumental milestone of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup attracted major investments, which offered KZN a significant economic boost.
“The impact of the World Cup has provided further impetus to investment, especially in the construction of stadiums and skills development programmes,” he added, listing the facilities constructed or renovated for the event, including the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
While praising past achievements, Duma did not shy away from addressing critics of the ANC. “It is only hatred that would lead people to ignore the projects that were led by the ANC government and that have changed the face of KZN,” he remarked.
He also spoke about the state-of-the-art hospitals built under the ANC regime, such as the Inkosi Albert Luthuli (ICC) and the R2 billion Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Regional Hospital in KwaMashu, north of Durban.
Duma also lauded the historical significance of the recently unveiled King Shaka KaSenzangakhona statue at the King Shaka International Airport, which cost the state R4.7 million, saying it exemplified the province’s cultural heritage.
Duma emphasised the ANC's contributions to airport infrastructure, most notably the King Shaka International Airport, which was set for renovations exceeding R12 billion to accommodate more passengers and bolster regional travel.
In discussing economic developments, Duma shone the light on the establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which have attracted over R25 billion in investments.
He said that when the ANC took over as the majority party in KZN in 2004, after unseating the IFP, the province “was transformed from a gloomy province into a land of prosperity.”
“Under the ANC, more than R300 billion in investments were directed towards the construction of roads, houses, hospitals, schools, dams, water infrastructure, electricity, and other socio-economic infrastructure that created millions of jobs.”
On electricity, he said, “On the electricity front, before the ANC took over, there was no electricity in deep rural areas. Here in KZN, the ANC, through Eskom, built the Ingula Plant in the uThukela District. At the time of building the plant in 2011, KwaZulu-Natal consumed more than 6700 MW of electricity or almost two Eskom six-pack power stations in its peak demand period.
“Ingula Plant ensured that about 1 300 Mega Watts of renewable energy was provided into the national grid. This was KZN’s contribution to the 20,000 Mega Watts of clean energy contained in the National Development Plan,” said Duma.
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