Sihle Mavuso presents the latest news from KwaZulu-Natal.
Durban – Controversial eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has “unreservedly apologised” for his remarks on Wednesday regarding the presence of people from the Eastern Cape in Durban. On Wednesday Kaunda told a municipal gathering on water issues at the Durban International Convention Centre that the Eastern Cape government should surrender part of its budget to the city as it is serving the people from that province. Kaunda said people from the Eastern Cape are flocking to Durban and the city’s R65.5-billion rand budget can’t cope. “We need your money because your people are here,” Kaunda said, drawing murmurs from the crowd. “They are looking for greener pastures, and they are looking for opportunities and jobs. That on its own creates an element of decay.”
Ladysmith – The uThukela municipality has resolved to test water delivered to residents of Pieters in Ladysmith after fears that it wasn’t safe to drink. This follows a video that went viral on social media early this week showing water tankers delivering water that contained chlorine and mud. The municipality’s leadership visited the township yesterday to address the matter and calm the alarmed community. To avoid similar occurrences, the municipality said it would train its water delivery team in proper handling procedures and the public would be educated to take precautionary measures every time they spot something suspicious in their water.
Nongoma – Senior Zulu Prince Mbonisi Zulu, the brother of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, has slammed the jostling by political parties around the current Zulu monarch, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, and over sacred Zulu traditional ceremonies, to gain votes in the 29 May elections. Prince Mbonisi said this should stop immediately. He was commenting following a misunderstanding between the KZN provincial government and the royal family over the dates for the 110th commemoration of the death of King Dinuzulu ka Cetshwayo and the prayer service for King Zwelithini in Nongoma. The royal family is angry that the premier set a date for King Dinuzulu’s commemoration without consulting them.
Ottawa – A factory producing fake alcohol in Ottawa in the north of Durban has been uncovered and shut down. It was found by the police during a raid late on Thursday afternoon when they and a team from the KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Board pounced on the factory and raided the warehouse. Drums containing ethanol which is used to make alcohol were found during the raid but the owner could not explain why he kept it and what he was using it for.
Isipingo – Diageo SA, the makers of Smirnoff, the biggest-selling vodka spirit in South Africa, has invested R10-million and commissioned seven professional, local women artists to render an artistic interpretation of the empowering “We Do We” programme by painting murals in KZN and Gauteng. The artists will design outdoor artworks to celebrate the brand in SA’s biggest townships, Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal and Soweto in Gauteng.
Pictured above: Mxolisi Kaunda, the mayor of eThekwini.
Image source: File
