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The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini notes the election and swearing in of the city’s new mayor, Cyril Xaba, today, while we also remain perplexed by the mayor’s overflowing optimism.

The reality is that the new mayor takes over a city which is at its lowest point and on its knees plagued by historic backlogs relating to water and electricity non-supply, crippled infrastructure, a billing chaos and a track-record of leaders who’ve gotten a free pass as far as accountability goes.

Simply replacing the face of the city will have absolutely no effect in solving any of these, and many other issues, which have robbed this once glorious city of its once coveted status. It is, in fact, evidently clear that the ANC alone cannot turn around eThekwini.

This is why the ANC, now more than ever, needs to continuously engage and consult with other parties in order to ensure that progressive service delivery is realized. The issues facing the city of eThekwini are of mammoth proportion and there can no longer be an ongoing delay in attending to them.

The DA will continue to play its oversight role and keep holding the ANC accountable in order to effect change from a collective and leadership perspective just as was the case with the previous incompetent axed mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda.

Issued by Cllr Thabani Mthethwa - DA eThekwini Caucus Leader