By Bhekisisa Mncube
Mandeni – Despite teething problems four years ago in the Mandeni Municipality, service delivery is now at the optimum level in the Ilembe District, says KwaZulu-Natal Acting Premier Senzo Mchunu.
Addressing more than 5 000 people gathered at Emakhempini Sports Grounds today, Mchunu said he was satisfied with the service delivery under Mandeni Municipality, which falls under Ilembe District.
Mchunu visited the area as part of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government Operation Sukuma Sakhe, which is aimed at speeding up service delivery, interacting with beneficiary communities and monitoring other ongoing government funded projects.
The Office of the Premier has also introduced a hotline to report service delivery complaints. The hotline number is 0800 596 596.
Healthcare services
In Mandeni Local Municipality, out of 30 902 households, 123 608 persons have access to six clinics within a radius of 5km, a standard adopted by the Department of Health in its efforts to make health services more accessible to the people.
“In KwaDukuza Local Municipality, 13 124 households, 52 496 persons are serviced by seven clinics within a 5km. Another six clinics are in the process of being constructed,” Mchunu said.
“In Maphumulo Local Municipality, eight clinics are currently servicing 57 684 persons within the 5km radius, with one clinic in the pipeline.”
He said in the past four years, the provincial government’s emphasis has been on more effective service delivery processes and the introduction of a more integrated approach in the provision of government services to people through Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
On addressing HIV/Aids challenges, he said the Provincial AIDS Council was currently dealing head-on with the process of equitable distribution of resources to address “a holistic treatment programme and care in the community.”
Job opportunities
Speaking on job creation in the district, Mchunu said the Department of Community Safety and Liaison alone employed 2 100 persons in the voluntary social crime prevention project.
Other job opportunities were created in the areas of food security (800 jobs), mechanisation programme (600 jobs), comprehensive agricultural support programme (4 500 jobs), livestock (3460 jobs), and other infrastructure projects employed 3 820 people.
In the green economy, more 12 000 jobs have been created. Yellow maize production netted 400 jobs, and groundnuts production added another 825 jobs.
He also outlined a massive agricultural farms project, which seeks to identify six subsistence farms and convert them to commercially viable farms. Viable sites have been identified across the four local municipalities falling under iLembe District. These sites are Mathonsi, Bulwer, Siyanqoba, Kwahlongwa, Mwandle, and Khelelani.
According to Mchunu, the objectives of the project are to improve the infrastructure on the farms by providing agricultural equipment and services, and to identify agricultural co-ops and assist them with capacity building and skills development.
The end goal of the project, he said, is to have farms that are able to produce crops for the local and wider district fresh produce market.
ILembe Vineyards Project
Mchunu also outlined government’s flagship project, dubbed ILembe Vineyards.
“The objective of the project is to plant and harvest vines with the intention of producing some or all of the following: wine, brandy, juice and table grapes.”
He explained that the iLembe Vineyards project is an agro processing business with an agri-tourism component.
The ultimate goal of the project, he said, is to capitalise on the catalytic effect of a vineyard, and the ability to create economically viable projects and industries supporting and surrounding the vineyards. – SAnews.gov.za
