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The DA in KwaDukuza has written to the Municipal Manager, Nhlanhla Mdakane, to request plans to address the fast increasing amount in electricity losses.

This growing crisis in the KwaDukuza Municipality has risen from over R237 million in the 2021/22 financial year to R262 million for the 2022/23 financial year.

In the first quarter of the current financial year, electricity losses in KwaDukuza already sit at 28%, which equates to an alarming figure of R109 million. If there are no aligned and concerted efforts to get on top of these losses, the glaring reality is that this could run into just under half a billion rand at the end of the current financial year.

At the end of the 22/23 financial year, the DA calculated that with the electricity losses of R262 million, KwaDukuza municipality could have built 1 875 RDP houses, resurfaced 130km of roads or installed 525 high mast lights. This would have made a significant difference to the lives of the people of KwaDukuza.

The solution to this crisis has been to arrange an Energy Indaba, which was set to take place on the 9th and 10th of November. The Democratic Alliance had cautioned the municipality that this could not be a talk shop, and that it was imperative that there must be measurable outcomes.

At the eleventh hour, the DA learned that this Indaba had been postponed – further proof that the ANC led Council are not taking this crisis seriously, and fail to see that there is a dwindling pool of public funds available to deliver services to the residents of KwaDukuza.

People are tired of Imbizo’s, Indaba’s and summits under the ANC. Ordinary citizens deserve change and hope, something that the ANC has failed to deliver in 29 years.

Issued by Councillor Tammy Colley - DA KwaDukuza Caucus Leader