A war of words has broken out between Durban mayor Zandile Gumede and the DA in the eThekwini Municipality over the latter’s failure to give a report-back on her 365 days in office.
Gumede was elected Durban mayor after the local government elections in August last year.
However‚ Gumede has come out guns blazing after the DA said the mayor was afraid to face the public to inform everyone that she and her ANC colleagues have failed the people of eThekwini.
Mayoral spokesman Mthunzi Gumede said the DA was merely politicking and failed to take into consideration that the mayor had a lot on her plate.
On Wednesday the DA said it had been reliably informed that the planned eThekwini Mayor’s “365 days in Office” report had been postponed for the second time.
DA KwaZulu-Natal leader and caucus chair Zwakele Mncwango said it was strange that it was more than 400 days since Gumede had taken office‚ yet she still wants to present “365 days in Office”.
However‚ Gumede said the 365 days activities were shelved because the mayor had been invited to a cabinet meeting to discuss a certain issue pertaining to burial sites.
“Another reason why we have not done it is because we wanted it to coincide with the transport month and the launch of Go! Durban bus transit system‚” Gumede said.
He did not want to entertain several other allegations by Mncwango‚ who said they had even compiled a “mini report” for Gumede “on things she has done‚ and things she could have done in eThekwini in her first 365 days”.
Gumede chuckled and said he knew nothing about such a report.
He said the mayor worked in line with the council’s integrated development plan and the manifesto of the party and‚ despite challenges‚ she had executed her duties with aplomb.
In comparison with other metros where the DA governed‚ Mncwango said‚ mayors were able to present their deliverables on time after their first year in office and were able to articulate their achievements.
“Perhaps it is because they had successful stories to tell‚ contrary to the honourable Mayor Gumede‚ who is delaying providing feedback to the public. In eThekwini‚ the DA was able to do an assessment report on the state of eThekwini during the first year of the mayor’s tenure‚” he said.
Mncwango said in her first year in office Gumede had spent R120-million on the “useless Essence Festival that did not benefit anyone”.
“With that money‚ she could have employed 1‚500 more Metro Police over two years‚ but she bought four apartheid Casspirs for R20-million‚ which could have been used to pay 250 students’ tuition and accommodation for a year‚” he said.
He said Gumede had no good story to tell as the city has steadily declined and has moved to fourth place in the ranking of the economic power of the major cities.
400 days later... Durban waiting to hear what mayor has done in 365 days in office
A war of words has broken out between Durban mayor Zandile Gumede and the DA in the eThekwini Municipality over the latter’s failure to give a report-back on her 365 days in office.
Gumede was elected Durban mayor after the local government elections in August last year.
However‚ Gumede has come out guns blazing after the DA said the mayor was afraid to face the public to inform everyone that she and her ANC colleagues have failed the people of eThekwini.
Mayoral spokesman Mthunzi Gumede said the DA was merely politicking and failed to take into consideration that the mayor had a lot on her plate.
On Wednesday the DA said it had been reliably informed that the planned eThekwini Mayor’s “365 days in Office” report had been postponed for the second time.
DA KwaZulu-Natal leader and caucus chair Zwakele Mncwango said it was strange that it was more than 400 days since Gumede had taken office‚ yet she still wants to present “365 days in Office”.
However‚ Gumede said the 365 days activities were shelved because the mayor had been invited to a cabinet meeting to discuss a certain issue pertaining to burial sites.
“Another reason why we have not done it is because we wanted it to coincide with the transport month and the launch of Go! Durban bus transit system‚” Gumede said.
He did not want to entertain several other allegations by Mncwango‚ who said they had even compiled a “mini report” for Gumede “on things she has done‚ and things she could have done in eThekwini in her first 365 days”.
Gumede chuckled and said he knew nothing about such a report.
He said the mayor worked in line with the council’s integrated development plan and the manifesto of the party and‚ despite challenges‚ she had executed her duties with aplomb.
In comparison with other metros where the DA governed‚ Mncwango said‚ mayors were able to present their deliverables on time after their first year in office and were able to articulate their achievements.
“Perhaps it is because they had successful stories to tell‚ contrary to the honourable Mayor Gumede‚ who is delaying providing feedback to the public. In eThekwini‚ the DA was able to do an assessment report on the state of eThekwini during the first year of the mayor’s tenure‚” he said.
Mncwango said in her first year in office Gumede had spent R120-million on the “useless Essence Festival that did not benefit anyone”.
“With that money‚ she could have employed 1‚500 more Metro Police over two years‚ but she bought four apartheid Casspirs for R20-million‚ which could have been used to pay 250 students’ tuition and accommodation for a year‚” he said.
He said Gumede had no good story to tell as the city has steadily declined and has moved to fourth place in the ranking of the economic power of the major cities.
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