Merebank community calls mayor’s service-delivery meeting a ‘tick-box exercise’
Residents said they were disappointed that Xaba and his team did not give the community an opportunity to engage with them about pertinent issues affecting the south Durban community.
Merebank residents have criticized eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba's recent service-delivery meeting, calling it a "tick-box exercise". The meeting, held at Austerville Hall, aimed to address concerns about sewer overflows, water interruptions, and aging infrastructure. However, community leaders were disappointed with the lack of opportunity to raise and discuss these pressing issues.
The eThekwini Municipality defended Xaba's approach, stating that the meeting was part of an accelerated program to restore critical public infrastructure across the South Durban Basin. The mayor emphasized that the focus was on repairing persistent sewer spills and water leaks, rather than simply applying temporary fixes. He cautioned that improper disposal of objects in sewer manholes contributes to recurrent blockages.
Daya Naidoo, chairperson of the Merebank Ratepayers Association, expressed dissatisfaction with the meeting's limited engagement. She noted that residents were invited to attend with the expectation of providing feedback and directly engaging with municipal leadership. Naidoo questioned the value of a meeting that failed to provide meaningful answers to the community's problems.
Paul Naidoo, a community leader, lamented the deterioration of the community due to poor service delivery. He highlighted problems such as sewer overflows, aged infrastructure, and water shortages, which have significantly impacted residents' daily lives. Naidoo accused Xaba of campaigning for his party during the meeting, using the forum to blame residents for the service issues instead of taking responsibility himself.
Ben Maistry, another community leader, echoed these sentiments, stating that the meeting did not meet resident expectations. He highlighted the mayor's focus on perceived community shortcomings rather than addressing the underlying issues. Maistry pointed out a stark contrast between the clean surroundings of Austerville Hall and the deteriorating conditions in the wider community, suggesting that this discrepancy masked the actual state of service delivery.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
