THE newly elected Msunduzi Municipality mayor, Themba Njilo, said he will make it a priority to spend his first 100 days in office visiting all 39 wards to learn the aspirations of Msunduzi residents.
Njilo was speaking after being elected the city’s first citizen at the inaugural council sitting last Friday after the 3 August elections.
He was nominated by fellow ANC councillor Linda Madlala and received 51 votes against the Democratic Alliance’s Sibongiseni Majola, who got 19 votes at the local government elections.
Presiding officer Brian Khanya said they counted 73 votes, one vote had been spoilt and one person had abstained from voting.
“As the new mayor I will make it a priority within the next 100 days to make strategic visits to your respective wards to learn the aspirations of our people in accelerating service delivery. The honour to serve our people is a responsibility for which we must be accountable, and it is therefore, important to do what is expected of us.”
Njilo said during the new council’s term of service there are three crucial priorities they hope to focus on.
“The first priority is that of affirming the fundamental and legislative mandate of the municipality. Secondly, enhancing the municipality’s capacity to deliver on mandatory and basic services, and lastly going the extra mile to serve, educate, empower and uplift the livelihood of all our people,” he said.
The newly elected mayor spoke councillors, who had been sworn in earlier, about the importance of keeping in contact with their respective communities.
“Exercise your roles and functions as ward councillors with diligence, you are the interface between the residents and the administration of the city. You must be accessible and know everything that is going on within the communities you serve. I trust we will work hand in hand to uplift the lives of our people.”
Jabu Ngubo was elected the new speaker for Msunduzi council after garnering 51 votes against Inkatha Freedom Party’s Bukelani Zuma who received 24 votes – making her the second woman in the history of Msunduzi to be elected speaker.
ANC stalwart Truman Magubane and Thobani Zuma retained their seats respectively as the council’s chief whip and deputy mayor after being elected unopposed.
