Durban - The speaker of the eThekwini Municipality, Thabani Nyawose, says frustrated community members can bring their complaints directly to him.
Nyawose was speaking recently on the city's podcast, “eThekwini matters”, about the functions of his office.
He urged the community to engage him before venting their frustrations in public and damaging public infrastructure.
“One of the things that I think members of the public are not aware of is that, in my office at City Hall, I am the only politician that deals with individual complaints from members of the public, who can come to my office to complain about whatever.
“Members of the public need to be aware that if you are frustrated by your councillor or any department, instead of mobilising people to protest, demonstrate, destroy facilities, first you must come to my office, lodge a complaint, and the complaint will be attended to,” he said.
Nyawose said he is also responsible for attending to protesting community members, and receiving memorandums and coordinating the responses. “Within seven days to 14 days, we must go back to that community and respond on what the city has done.”
The speaker said he is aware of complaints from communities that even when the responses to the community complaint have been coordinated, the officials do not fully implement what was agreed upon.
“This is an issue of conduct of our officials,” he said, adding that it is important to remind officials that in terms of the law, they have a responsibility to make sure the municipality renders quality service to the people in this space we are still lacking, we need to improve.
“I am also responsible for the safety and security of councillors, analyse the risk and make necessary arrangements for them to be protected. That is my responsibility,” he said.
The Mercury recently reported on the millions of rand being spent to protect the councillors.