Letters | Promises to proof

Msunduzi must show measurable service delivery recovery. Residents judge a municipality by what improves their daily lives, whether water is in their taps, the lights stay on and whether other basic services work consistently. What is recorded on paper matters, but it only counts when it translates into visible change on the ground.

Msunduzi’s long-suffering residents are well within their rights to ask for clarity over what is being done for them, what progress has been made and when improvement can reasonably be expected. When residents consistently raise the same service delivery issues, they deserve more than vague and general assurances. They deserve reasonable information, shared openly and timeously, about turnaround times, milestones and what is being done in the interim to stabilise services.

The Municipal Systems Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) framework reinforce accountable, responsive governance and transparent management. These duties are meant to protect communities from prolonged failure and uncertainty. The DA’s concern is simple: Residents should not have to resort to protest action to get answers.

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Oversight is not about taking over a municipality’s job. It is about requiring clear plans, published timeframes and regular public reporting so that residents can track whether commitments are being met. As a committed partner within KZN’s government of provincial unity, the DA will continue to push for stronger, more frequent reporting, with measurable milestones and accountability where required so that service delivery is judged by what residents experience, not by what is promised. Marlaine Nair, MPL DA KZN spokesperson on Cogta Langalibalele Street Pietermaritzburg

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