A string of bad luck for the people of Ugu District Municipality in southern KwaZulu-Natal continues with the death of Mayor Phumlile Mthiyane on Monday.
This comes just three days after the death of Municipal Manager Dr Elliot Ntombela, three months into his five-year contract.
They both died as the municipality is battling to restore damage to infrastructure following last year’s devastating floods that collapsed the water supply from the Umtamvuna River.
Six people from the district died in the floods while damage in the coastal towns of Port Shepstone, Margate, Umzinto, Scottburgh and Harding was estimated at over R2 billion.
The district municipality is responsible for infrastructure, sewerage and water reticulation in the local municipalities of Umdoni, Umzumbe, Umziwabantu and Ray Nkonyeni, which have a combined population of 720,000 people.
Delays in infrastructure maintenance, as a result of legal processes to elect a new mayor and later a new municipal manager, are expected to delay the recovery of businesses in these holiday towns.
Ntombela and Mthiyane were in the process of driving an infrastructure budget of R347 million after the council approved R1,7 billion for the current financial year.
Dr Ntombela died on Saturday after spending three weeks in hospital.
Just two days later, the municipal spokesperson France Zama confirmed to the media that the mayor died on Monday morning.
“It is with deep shock and sorrow that the municipality announces the untimely passing of the mayor.
“A dark cloud seems to have fallen upon our municipality during this period and we request your thoughts and prayers to be with the family at this time of loss.”
Pictured above: Mayor Phumlile Mthiyane confirmed dead, three days after the death of Municipal Manager Dr Elliot Ntombela
Image source: Supplied
