Msunduzi unveils plan to improve maintenance, service delivery

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21-01-2026
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The Witness
Source

Msunduzi Municipality has developed a clear maintenance strategy for the city, with a strong focus on infrastructure and municipal assets, Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said.

He said the strategy, along with other proposals, emerged from a three-day strategic planning session that started lastMonday and concluded on Wednesday.

Among the outcomes was the formulation of a plan to ensure that council resolutions are properly implemented.

This includes strengthening institutional capacity by reinforcing the staff structure and filling all critical vacancies so the municipality can respond effectively to the city’s growing needs.

Thebolla also acknowledged that even in areas where the municipality has performed well, further improvement is possible.

He said the session allowed the municipality to reflect on the year that was, with particular focus on a mid-term review, as the municipal financial year begins in July.

January is therefore used to assess performance over the first six months, enabling more effective planning for the next six months and the remainder of the calendar year.

“One very important issue that came out of that session was the acknowledgement of the many improvements that happened last year, while also recognising the challenges we continue to face as a city,” Thebolla said.

We were able to look critically at ourselves and at what our people need, and we came up with plans that speak directly to service delivery.

He said that, as a result of these discussions, he would in the coming days table a Section 72 report before the council.

The report will reflect the municipality’s budget performance and how it has been implemented over the past six months.

Thebolla said that where challenges are identified, new ideas will be proposed, resolutions taken to council, or additional external assistance sought where necessary.

He added that the session also resulted in a detailed maintenance plan for the city, particularly relating to infrastructure and municipal assets.

If we are unable to maintain what we have, service delivery is always compromised.

He said the municipality had therefore developed a clear plan for infrastructure and asset maintenance.

This also includes strengthening the staff establishment and ensuring that all critical posts are filled so the municipality can meet the city’s growing demands.

Among the key priorities set at the start of the financial year is the goal of creating a cleaner city, which he said is closely linked to providing a conducive environment for investment.

“We looked at all these issues and agreed that we need to develop policies that will attract investors to the city, while ensuring that we provide sustainable services that can support economic growth,” he said.

Job creation, particularly for young people, remains a central focus of the municipality’s plans.

We are very clear that it is not our duty to employ everybody, but the environment we are creating is aimed at reducing unemployment in this city.

“We know that this comes with challenges. Every time opportunities arise, there is a high influx of people into the city. Our plans ensure that we are ready to welcome new residents while still being able to meet the demand for service delivery,” he added.