UMLAZI, KWAZULU-NATAL — As the November 4 local elections approach, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) is calling for a comprehensive eThekwini budget audit to address critical service delivery failures in Umlazi. ATM eThekwini Mayoral Candidate Laurelle Bernon argues that redirecting mismanaged municipal funds is essential to resolving the deep-rooted infrastructure and social challenges plaguing the region’s largest township.
Speaking from a bustling transit area in Umlazi, Bernon outlined the financial disparities she believes are crippling the municipality. She noted that eThekwini manages a massive capital budget exceeding R70 billion. However, according to the Auditor-General’s reports cited by the ATM, the municipality is grappling with over R4 billion in wasteful expenditure and an additional R2 billion in fruitless spending. Bernon emphasized that public funds must be redirected from lining the pockets of a few to servicing the communities that contribute to the national economy.
The call for financial accountability comes as residents in Ward 80, Section E, continue to battle severe service delivery backlogs. Bernon highlighted that refuse collection, sewage spills in the streets, and unreliable electricity and water supply remain daily struggles. She pointed out that the water crisis is largely due to underground plumbing that has not been upgraded to accommodate the township’s population of over 400,000 residents, many of whom still live in informal settlements and substandard housing conditions.
To combat these issues, the ATM has proposed several structural interventions. Bernon suggested implementing high-density piping, referencing Cape Town’s success in achieving a 90% reduction in water losses through similar infrastructure upgrades. Furthermore, the party plans to tackle youth unemployment by partnering with local TVET colleges, such as the Coastal College in Umlazi, and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The goal is to equip young people with practical skills and certificates to actively participate in rebuilding their own communities.
The urgency for governance reform was echoed by a local resident identified as Section 180, who clarified he is not a ward councillor but a community member advocating for change. He pointed out that despite 32 years of democracy, Ward 80 still lacks basic civic infrastructure, including a library, a community hall, a youth center, and skill development facilities. Section 180 warned that this lack of infrastructure directly fuels social ills, including crime, drug addiction, and alcohol abuse, leaving many residents feeling hopeless.
With the elections just days away, the ATM is positioning itself as a faith-based alternative ready to break the historical political strongholds in the eThekwini metropolitan area. The party insists that frameworks and policies for clean governance already exist, but a severe lack of implementation and accountability in the municipality must be corrected to bring lasting transformation to townships like Umlazi, Wentworth, and Merebank.
