A member of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group says there are clear signs of progress in municipal systems designed to improve service delivery across Durban.
Executive Director Sipho Cele, who is part of the inspection team visiting various sites in the city, spoke during a visit to the recently upgraded Rivertown Precinct on Bram Fischer Road in the CBD. The area now features a six-metre rock installation and a distinctive blue-painted walkway as part of an ongoing urban renewal project.
Cele acknowledged that while challenges remain, the city is moving in the right direction.
“Of course, you can’t resolve all these difficulties in two years. But we are confident that we’re registering progress and finding pathways that bring us closer to the level of delivery we aim for,” he said.
He added that billions of rand have already been invested to address key service delivery backlogs and infrastructure issues. The group’s focus, he said, is on improving efficiency within existing systems rather than relying solely on new funding.
“The support we’ve received so far has allowed us to rework and re-examine our systems,” Cele explained. “We’ve also benefited from input by the National Treasury on how to turn around our trading services, and there’s a promise of further financial support in the coming years.”
The working group, established by President Cyril Ramaphosa, continues to monitor progress on key infrastructure and service delivery projects across the eThekwini Metro.