Durban – With just over 20 days to go to the local government elections, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal said on Wednesday that it wants to get the basics right in terms of service delivery in the uMngeni municipality, west of Durban, in the uMgungundlovu district.
The DA continued to build its election campaign momentum, taking its operation west, to the Mpophomeni township, one of the most densely populated areas in the uMngeni municipality, to deliver its ‘Blueprint’ plan to residents in efforts to improve service delivery.
Head of the DA in KZN Francois Rodgers, together with the party’s mayoral candidate in uMngeni, Chris Pappas, spoke to community members at Zano’s Restaurant, urging them to help the party claim governance over the municipality.
Head of the DA in Kwazulu-Natal Francois Rodgers says that when the party wins the local government elections, residents of the Mpophomeni township can look forward to better service delivery and an improved quality of life. @IOL @Our_DA pic.twitter.com/T0ATS1nTRG
— Jehran Daniel (@JehranD) October 6, 2021
Pappas said the level of service delivery in the area, with regards to water, sanitation, electricity and rubbish removal, had negatively impacted the quality of life for residents in the area and he hopes to restore dignity to the people should the DA be elected into office.
The DA’s mayoral candidate also said that he will try to generate and keep more money inside the uMngeni municipality, as many of the big businesses in the area are not from there.
“There’s water pipes here but the water doesn’t come out of the taps, there’s electricity but there’s no metering. If you drive through Mpophomeni, you will see that it's filthy. It’s those basic things that we want to get right.
“If they aren’t able to pick up the rubbish, how can you promise people houses and stop corruption? So, really I am trying to get the basics done in this area. And I think that's what people want, they want to drive home when the street lights are working, they don't want to dodge potholes, they want to know if the rubbish will be collected on the same day of the week,” Pappas said.
DA members and its supporters from Mpophomeni, a township in the uMngeni Municipality, just west of Durban, marching through the streets as the DA beefs up its election campaign in Kwazulu-Natal. @IOL @Our_DA pic.twitter.com/pRKg4uuQPy
— Jehran Daniel (@JehranD) October 6, 2021
Party and community members marched through the streets of Mpophomeni after Pappas delivered the party’s ‘Blueprint’ plan.
The uMngeni area has 12 wards with the majority vote currently in favour of the ANC.
Rodgers said residents of Howick and Hilton have seen the amount of work put in by DA ward councillors in terms of service delivery and upholding their rights, but the task of winning an election isn’t easy, which may bring about the need for a coalition.
Political Bureau