THE Golden Games for Senior Citizens in Kokstad are gaining momentum as about 29 players from different sporting categories in Kokstad were selected to represent the local Municipality at the Harry Gwala District level and from there performing players. The aim is to promote a healthy lifestyle for the senior citizens around the district. Special Programmes Manager, Khaya Xorile it is important for the Municipality to ensure that such games are held regularly.

"The aim is to make sure that our grandmothers and grandfathers are active in their twilight years as we need  them to live  longer  as they are pillars of our families," said Xorile, adding that these games are important in the calendar of events for the Municipality” said Xorile

THE Greater Kokstad Municipal Council has again entrusted its administration to the helm of Municipal Manager, Sipho Zwane following the recruitment processes which resulted in the appointment of Zwane on a contract of another five years as the accounting officer of the Municipality.

The decision was taken just after the Municipality conducted interviews in the presence of stakeholders including media. three candidates were interviewed including the now and newly appointed Municipal Manager, Zwane. However, the fourth candidate excused himself due to commitments.

The Municipality’s Speaker, Councillor Lwanda Madikizela said Zwane’s appointment was based on the points he scored during the interviews, which was more than 89%.

“Apart from that his experience also speaks for itself as he has served in other Municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal province with honesty, trustworthiness, commitment, diligence and dignity”, said Cllr Madikizela. He added they are one of the few, if not the only Municipality that conducted interviews publicly, which is in line with enhanced transparency with the intent to fight elements of favouritism as everything is done in front of all relevant stakeholders including the unions within the Municipality. “This is a Municipality that employs credible officials with merits and experience and people who are capable to serve our communities rightfully so…,” said Cllr Madikizela.

He said the advantage about Zwane is that he will continue with programmes started even by the former Mayor, Cllr B.M. Mtolo, in which he worked with…so it would be easy to maintain and improve the standard of the Municipality rather than a new person who would require more municipal support in terms of familiarising himself/herself with the various systems of the Municipality.

The Municipal Manager, Zwane appealed to the Kokstad communities to continue working closely with the Municipality to speed up service delivery.

“I am lucky to be working at a Municipality where communities are very unique and who understand the processes of the Municipality very well,” said Zwane.

Speaking to GKM VOICE: He said, “I have developed a strong passion for Kokstad in such a way that the journey we have started with the Municipality last year is an interesting one,” said Zwane. He appealed to the members of the community to not hesitate to approach the Municipality should they find that they are dropping the ball in some aspects, adding that they should feel free to call or approach his office.

Zwane said they will continue to implement a strict management system in the supply chain management unit to ensure they uproot fraud and corruption where it exists. He said apart from the clean bill of health, which the Municipality always receives, that does not supersede the important task of the Municipality which is service delivery.

He said besides other major projects that are in place, they have declared war against potholes in the CBD and surrounding areas as well as in the townships and are also fixing all the streetlights “The programme is monitored every week,” he said. He thanked the leadership of the Greater Kokstad Municipality for the confidence they have in him as the Municipal Manager and in believing in him to retain his position. The deputy Mayor, Karren Walker has welcomed the re-appointment of the Municipal Manager.

THE Kokstad Municipal Manager, Sipho Zwane has labelled the former Kokstad Mayor, Bheki Mtolo as an “eagle” that nobody can stop from doing what it is supposed to do, which is to fly high. Likening Mtolo's recent ascendance to the position of secretary of the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal, Zwane said the "eagle" will once more flying high and this time will open all the doors for the future of the people of the KwaZulu Natal province.

Zwane praised the former Mayor, Mtolo after having been hailed by a number of guest speakers, including the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Head of the Department, Thando Tubane who unashamedly revealed that Mtolo’s hard work for a better Kokstad is evident to everyone’s eyes walking the streets of Kokstad.

They shared these sentiments during a surprise farewell for the former Mayor, Mtolo who recently resigned from the Municipality after ascending to the provincial political position in the ruling party. The organizers of the surprise farewell took advantage of Mtolo's switched-on mind for service delivery as the organisers hurriedly called him to inspect a "damaged" ceiling at the Kokstad Town Hall to which he leaped to the rescue only to find that it was a plot to get him to grace his surprise farewell.

This was an initiative by his colleagues and comrades from the Kokstad Sub-region who gifted him with a cow, which is a sign of wishing him all the best on his political journey.

Speaking at the event, Tubane said:” It is a great honour but a painful occassion to bid farewell to leader that stood firm even in difficult times of the July unrest wherein Mtolo refused to allow that to happen in Kokstad, refusing to destroy Kokstad that has been developed through hard work and should they have allowed that many people would have lost their jobs as some businesses would have closed down”

Mtolo was further hailed for being a champion of service delivery who managed to attract investors and created jobs for the local community even during the time of the hard lockdown as a result of Covid-19 "He however influenced massive infrastructural developments for the fast-growing town of Kokstad as per their Municipality's vision of becoming a City of Economic Possibilities by 2047,” Tubane said Mtolo’s footprints on service delivery will remain forever etched in the gallows of the history of the town as everyone can witness developmental and infrastructural change in Kokstad.

He added that Mtolo’s hard work is vividly clear as when they were doing assessments  as  the  department  in August 2021, the revenue collection was sitting at 67% but now it is close to 90%. “You took decisions that sometimes shocked us in the province but we realised later that those decisions were meant to better the lives of the people of Kokstad,” Tubane said. Zwane echoed the same sentiments and ensured that Mtolo’s legacy for a better Kokstad will live on. “This  is  bitter-sweet  because we wanted you to ascend but now wen feel the pain… my younger brother,” said Zwane. He said we shall continue to call you asking for your assistance wherever you are...” added Zwane. The Harry Gwala District Municipality's Youth    Manager, Qiniso Mnguni stated that Mtolo is the beacon of hope, not only for KwaZulu-Natal, but the entire country. Mtolo’s parents, Mahleka (father) and Noluyolo Mtolo were also part of the send- off Mtolo conveyed his  words  of gratitude  to  them  and  those  who organised the send-off but expressed that “this time around it is not about them but about the people”. He said they need to be close to communities to fight  challenges  of unemployment,  crime,  poverty  and inequality. He said it would be their responsibility to play an oversight role on municipalities for the betterment of communities. He said he wouldn't be where he is if it wasn’t for his parents.

The Greater Kokstad Municipality Youth Officer, Samkele Nondize chaired the send- off and also conveyed his gratitude to the former Mayor, Mtolo for his support to young people and having  been  there  for  the  people of  Kokstad.  Yet  another  Municipal internal farewell for the Kokstad Mayor is expected to take place during the month end.

The National Minister for the Department of Cooperative and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has called on local municipalities to prioritise development in rural areas. Dlamini-Zuma was speaking in Kokstad recently during the launch of the Eastern Seaboard Programme.

Adding to her speech she called on the Harry Gwala District Municipality leaders to be decisive when dealing with poverty issues.

The programme is in line with the District Development Modelthat co-ordinates all three spheres of government to integrate

development plans and capacity to fast-track infrastructural development in rural areas. The aim is to create job opportunities and to enhance the

rural economy.

The programme prioritises the inclusion of women, youth and people living with disabilities in development and economic opportunities.

It also pushes coordination and promotes working together in the advancement of the ocean economy and other economic opportunities by

coastal district municipalities namely; uGu, Harry Gwala, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo District Municipalities.

“I will speak here as a citizen who grew up here and will be buried here and as a Minister. I put this burden upon you as local leaders to prioritise rural communities and be stronger than the challenges our government is facing,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

She urged the leaders to live and breathe the legacy of the late Harry Gwala, “who worked hard and sacrificed his life for the people even

during the dark days of apartheid ”.

“It is quite exciting to speak for the first time in front of you not through zoom meetings but on the land named after the Griqua leader, Adam

Kok III [Kokstad] the tribe [Griquas] that suffered a lot of dispossession, added Dlamini-Zuma.” She said the three districts — Harry She said the three districts — Harry Gwala, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo —were among the 10 poorest districtsin the country, which was why they needed to complement one another and not compete. She said their co-ordinating roleas  Cogt a is meant to promote socioeconomicdevelopment in every municipality. She said: “It is important to developrural areas so that people who livehere go to urban areas out of choice,not through the impression that urbanthat urbanareas have all the opportunities.” KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala echoed the same sentiments, emphasising the inclusion of women,emphasising the inclusion of women,youth and people living withdisabilities in the programme. Harry Gwala District Mayor ZamoHarry Gwala District Mayor ZamoNxumalo has endorsed and givensupport to the initiative and proposedthat the Premier revives the VukuzakheDevelopment Programme, whichhe said played a significant role indeveloping local businesses and ruralareas.

Nxumalo said they have taken aresolution to tar rural roads to cutmaintenance costs since gravel roadsoften required maintenance afterheavy rains. The Greater KokstadMunicipal Mayor, Cllr B.M Mtoloacknowledged the fact that thelaunch was in his area, meaning eventhough they are a small town but theirexistence and hard work is highlyrecognised by one of the highestoffices in government.