South Africa’s Deputy President Commends Progress in eThekwini Service Delivery and Economic Development

Durban, The Gulf Observer: South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile has commended the progress made by the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) in improving service delivery, strengthening business confidence and promoting economic development in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mashatile held a meeting with the working group on Friday at eThekwini City Hall to review progress, challenges and proposed interventions under the second phase of the initiative.

Established in 2024 following engagements between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the PeWG was created to address the municipality’s key challenges, including water supply interruptions, ageing infrastructure, declining tourism, crime and inefficiencies at the port.

The Deputy President noted that the working group had made significant progress in addressing service delivery concerns, improving the management of ageing infrastructure, strengthening business confidence and tackling socio-economic challenges.

He welcomed progress across priority projects, while acknowledging areas where implementation had been delayed and where further coordination, escalation or strategic intervention was required.

Progress in Key Development Areas

The latest report by the PeWG co-chairs highlighted improvements in several priority areas. Municipal financial performance has stabilised, while governance measures have contributed to better compliance and accountability.

Progress has also been recorded in reducing water losses, strengthening tourism promotion and advancing major investment projects valued at more than R32 billion.

However, the working group expressed concern over persistent safety challenges in the Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and Kwa-Mashu (PINK) areas.

While welcoming President Ramaphosa’s intervention to deploy the South African National Defence Force in response to recent unrest in the province, the group called for a similar intervention in the PINK areas to address ongoing security concerns.

Mashatile emphasised that a safe, vibrant, clean and well-managed city centre would demonstrate that eThekwini was open for business and committed to inclusive economic growth that benefits all residents.

He called for stronger collaboration and faster implementation of priority initiatives to ensure that the working group leaves a lasting legacy of investment, economic growth, job creation and an improved quality of life for the people of eThekwini and KwaZulu-Natal.

Strengthening Service Delivery and Coordination

The PeWG’s work complements the Deputy President’s broader efforts as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery.

PeWG Co-Chair Mike Mabuyakhulu said collaboration among all spheres of government and social partners was beginning to produce tangible results.

He described the working group as a key platform for resolving implementation bottlenecks, improving coordination and accelerating development initiatives.

Mabuyakhulu said meaningful progress was being made in infrastructure development, transport, investment attraction and service delivery, adding that the focus remained on speeding up implementation so residents and businesses could experience the benefits.

Priorities for the Next Phase

The next phase of the initiative will prioritise securing funding for the uMlazi Canal upgrade, accelerating railway recovery initiatives, reducing non-revenue water losses and strengthening coordination to support economic growth and improve public services.

Mabuyakhulu also stressed the importance of keeping residents and stakeholders informed about progress under the initiative.

He said the working group’s communication and marketing workstream would soon introduce stakeholder accountability sessions to provide regular updates on achievements, challenges and ongoing interventions.

The initiative aims to strengthen public accountability, ensure inclusive stakeholder participation and maintain momentum in addressing the municipality’s service delivery and economic development challenges.

Through continued cooperation between government, businesses and communities, the Presidential eThekwini Working Group seeks to improve municipal performance, attract investment and create conditions for sustainable and inclusive growth across the region.