OPINION: Congratulations to the incoming eThekwini and Msunduzi executive leadership.
I hope and pray that they will receive the necessary support and co-operation from all members and political parties, not just through acceptance of each other, but through improved teamwork.
The political infighting has caused untold damage to local service delivery and now it is time to clean up the system and deliver.
Similarly, now is the time to listen to the citizens about their service delivery problems, and thereafter start delivering results on the ground.
With the new leadership in, the days of excuses, promises and rescheduling of basic service delivery should be a thing of the past. Citizens urgently want to see better quality service delivery, a clean-up of the cities and real growth and development.
To citizens, positions, photo-shoots and speeches do not matter; services and effective management
of the city are important and
matter most.
To earn confidence and trust in the new leadership, city councillors must work closely with their respective mayors and the community to deliver quality services.
God willing, if this partnership happens, I am convinced South Africa’s young democracy will see progress and nation-building will accelerate.
Together with honesty, accountability, transparency, rule of law and implementation of strategies and policies, local leaders must, at all times, connect with constituents. Nation-building begins with local government.
MOHAMED SAEED Pietermaritzburg
Daily News