As reported, on numerous occasions over the years, Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal’s roads continue to draw negative attention. From potholes to chunks of missing tar, Newcastillians are no strangers to the topic.
However, Newcastle Mayor, Cllr Xolani Dube, claims that the Newcastle Municipality’s leadership has refocused its efforts on addressing this pressing issue.
In a recent statement, Mayor Dube expressed the government entity’s unwavering commitment to prioritising service delivery in the city. On Wednesday, 5 July 2023, he announced that the dark financial cloud that had loomed over Newcastle for years, hampering service delivery, was finally dissipating.
“The Municipality has made insurmountable progress in making sure that the Newcastle community receives much needed support and services that they deserve,” affirmed Mayor Dube.
This declaration comes on the heels of Newcastle Municipality successfully clearing its debt with the power utility company, Eskom.
As reported by Newcastillian News, the final payment to Eskom was made on Wednesday, 5 July 2023, after the Newcastle Municipality diligently chipped away at the historical debt, which had soared to over R200 million.
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Moreover, Mayor Dube shared insights into their approach, stating, “As the collective leadership of the municipality who have been entrusted with the responsibility of serving the residents of this fast growing secondary city, we went back to the drawing board to devise strategies that will ensure that service delivery is improved despite the financial challenges that we were facing, and I am pleased to provide a progress update on some of the projects we have undertaken.”
Responding to numerous complaints on social media about the deteriorating state of the roads, Mayor Dube revealed that he had personally taken up the challenge. He organised site visits, accompanied by municipality experts, to assess the extent of damage on various roads and develop solutions to address these issues.
As a tangible outcome of their extensive efforts, Mayor Dube proudly inaugurated a recently completed road project in Madadeni, KZN. Additionally, on Wednesday, 5 July 2023, the Newcastle Municipality initiated another road and stormwater drainage project in Osizweni.
While these developments promise improved living conditions for the residents of Osizweni, the Newcastle Municipality’s Communications Unit assured that Newcastle’s CBD and suburbs will also be benefiting from the focus on road infrastructure.
“The rehabilitation of road infrastructure such as repairing potholes, resealing, and regravelling of roads is part of the Municipality’s initiatives that the Mayor has identified and is leading,” said the Newcastle Municipality’s Communications Unit.
Cllr Dube concluded by stating, “We are pleased with the results of the hard work in overcoming challenges to accelerate service delivery to our communities and assure our citizens of our ongoing commitment to continue doing so.”
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