Mxolisi Kaunda Archives - Duncan Du Bois

Rates Protest Is Justified

Duncan Du Bois — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:01:53 +0000

The belligerent attitude of eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda towards the Westville Ratepayers, (The Mercury, September 11) who have withheld funds in protest against the excessive cost increases imposed by the syndicate running the municipality, needs to be seen in the context of constitutional rights and obligations.

Section 41 of chapter 3 of the constitution on cooperative government, refers to the need for mutual trust and good faith, consultation with one another in matters of common interest and coordination of actions with one another (h – i,ii, iii, iv). In cavalier fashion, Kaunda chose to ignore the metro-wide opposition to the rates and utilities increases. He and his party failed to apply the most basic of economic considerations: to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth.

Kaunda and his ilk have continued on their profligate spending path despite outrage regularly expressed against unnecessary expenses such as R1,7 million on a dinner function at the ICC, R52 million outstanding in unpaid services by his own people, R9 million to “consult” residents, 55% of the water being lost or stolen, crumbling infrastructure, an electricity increase above Nersa’s stipulation.

Despite all of the above, Kaunda’s syndicate continues to proclaim that by 2030, Durban will be Africa’s most liveable city. That slogan has long ceased to be credible and will never be realised under the ANC and its adherents.

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Mayor Kaunda’s Tourism Spin Disputed

Duncan Du Bois — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:02:45 +0000

Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda claims that since the Queen Mary 2 paid a very brief visit to Durban harbour, one swallow makes a summer and, therefore, eThekwini’s tourism is now revived. But the front page report in The Mercury of April 6 of the demise of the beachfront tells a different story.

The closure of the iconic beachfront Funworld after more than 60 years because of the degradation of the area does not square with Kaunda’s spin. The indifference of the municipality in failing to respond to Nic Steyn’s letter of Notice reflects the arrogance of these ANC mandarins whose “governance” is funded by ratepayers.

Filling his bloated report with details about tourism indabas and projections does nothing to disguise the fact that Umhlanga is the tourist node of preference because of the crime and grime in Durban. If it was not for the ICC hosting events, most tourists would avoid Durban which the ANC claims will be Africa’s “most caring and liveable city by 2030.”

Dream on, Kaunda. The only thing that might make 2030 worth anticipating will be if the ANC is out of power.

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Ethekwini Mayor’s Boast Out Of Touch With Reality

Duncan Du Bois — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:20:28 +0000

eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda’s message of welcome to delegates at last week’s Transformation Summit (The Mercury, March 1)is both ironic and disingenuous, particularly with regard to the slogan he boasts –“By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable city.”

Before 2012 the date on that slogan was 2020. But then the ANC mandarins realised achieving their objective by 2020 was unrealistic, so they moved the goalpost to 2030. With seven years to go, they really need to scrap the slogan altogether because conditions in eThekwini are worse now than in 2012 and indeed appear irreversible.

For the mayor to describe Durban as a “beautiful city” simply does not accord with reality. Crumbling infrastructure, filthy pavements, gutters featuring plant growth, clogged stormwater drains, street lights that don’t function and which, in some cases, like in the vicinity of Southway Mall, Rossburgh , have not functioned since 2010.

A caring, liveable city does not have constant water supply ruptures. It does not tolerate 55% of its water supply being stolen or lost through old infrastructure. It has a refuse service that operates regularly instead of when it is not striking and when its poorly maintained vehicles can manage their routes. A caring, liveable city reads water and electricity meters regularly so its customers are properly billed instead of being subjected to estimated accounts.

It is laughable for the mayor to refer to a “just transition” in energy availability when eThekwini electricity breakdowns, which have nothing to do with load shedding, are a daily occurrence. How does he propose to transition to this “just” situation when there is such a dearth of technical skills, a situation the ANC has fostered through its racist policies?

If there is a monument to the decline of Durban under the ANC, it is the much- touted Moses Mabhida stadium. Not only has it become a white elephant at a cost to ratepayers in excess of R6 million a month, but the inability to fix the sky car, which has been out of commission for several years, is a fitting advertisement of ANC achievement.

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