Durban — Newly elected eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba has no illusions about his new job, and rates it as possibly the toughest challenge yet in public office.
That is taking into account the combination of a demoralised ratepayer base and a workforce that, in part, is not pulling its weight.
Xaba, who was elected at a special council sitting on Wednesday, said his experience as a politician in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature and the national Parliament, coupled with his years as Agriculture MEC as well as economic adviser to former KZN premier Dr Zweli Mkhize, would come in handy during his deployment.
“I was telling (ANC veteran) Dr Mavuso Msimang of how grateful I am to have been entrusted with such a daunting task, because it means that my party saw me as being fit enough to perform the duties that are demanded of this office at this very difficult period,” he told the Sunday Tribune following his election.
Xaba, who gained popularity as a no-nonsense finance committee chairperson, making life difficult for many government department officials and their political masters, has indicated that he will use the same method when dealing with provincial departments.
He has listed key areas that need urgent attention, including:
- Electricity and water infrastructure;
- Making city streets safer by ensuring that the metro police have the proper and latest equipment to fight crime; and
- Ensuring synergy among departments and making officials account for the departmental budgets.
Xaba said he had already gone through the City’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and noted some areas of concern which he was set to raise in the coming weeks.
“The thing to remember about the IDP is that it is like a shopping list that one develops, then asks for money and explains how the money that had been approved for the shopping was used. It is that simple and that’s what I am here to see,” he said.
According to Xaba, what made the government work was the level of oversight that was exercised by portfolio committees, including the standing committee on public accounts and the finance committee, and it is the same collective mindset that will ensure the success of the team that has been sent to KZN’s economic hub.
ActionSA leader Zwakele Mncwango said they had no qualms with Xaba’s election.
“We don’t have an issue with Xaba as an individual but welcome and wish him well. We will hold him accountable as part of our duties,” said Mncwango.
He expressed concern over the system that the new mayor has inherited.
“On our side, we are of the view that eThekwini is in trouble because of systematic challenges from the ANC. They used the so-called democratic centralism where individuals and leaders do not have any authority but simply take instructions from the central structure and that becomes problematic when a new person is attempting to stamp his authority,” said Mncwango.
The ActionSA councillor lamented the arrangement reached by the major parties which mirrors the government of national unity arrangement where the ANC, DA, IFP and NFP make up the City’s executive committee.
“The new arrangement is against the spirit of the executive committee system, because now the Exco is made up of parties that work together. Hopefully the sitting will not be the day we live to rue on behalf of eThekwini residents,” Mncwango added.
EFF councillor Themba Mvubu described Xaba’s tenure as a challenging one, citing the difficulty the new mayor was likely to face when pushing for a pro-poor budget under the new political arrangement.
“The challenge here is that eThekwini has nearly 60% of the population in rural areas which needs servicing and that may not go down well with the other political partners of the ANC under this arrangement,” said Mvubu.
DA councillor Welekazi Sibiya said they welcomed Xaba’s election and called on the mayor to brace himself for the challenge before him.
“We welcome his election. However we feel, judging by his maiden speech, that he may be out of touch with the challenges faced by the City,” said Sibiya.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said the fact that none of the major parties had fielded a mayoral candidate to contest the position with Xaba was a sign of the support he was set to enjoy.
Sunday Tribune