Corruption led to dirty city, says manager

THE MAN eyeing the ANC’s top post in eThekwini has warned that no funds should be returned to the Treasury while the municipality’s central business district and nearby townships remain filthy.

Thabani Nyawose, 44, who serves as the branch secretary in the Bluff, south of Durban, and the municipality’s housing department senior manager, said that while the city and its surroundings remained dirty and laden with litter, the municipality was marred by the irregular appointments of contractors who did not perform the duties they were being paid for.

He added that it was troubling that the municipality found it hard to clean the city.

“It is about picking up litter and collecting waste, which keeps the city clean and is the easiest thing to do.

“It is not happening because of the irregular appointment of the contractors who are currently in court. There is no other reason except those irregular appointments,” he said.

In the meantime, with the support of mostly ANC Youth League members, Nyawose is set to go head to head with former mayor Zandile Gumede during the ruling party’s regional conference scheduled for early April.

If elected the chairperson of the ANC’s biggest region in the country, Nyawose stands a good chance of becoming the city’s mayor in next year’s general election.

However, he said that for now his focus was to become the regional chairperson, a position that would enable him to deal with the challenges facing the municipality.

“Whether you are a mayor or chair of the ANC you still have a responsibilities to address these issues,” he said.