We've Done Well And Will Do Better

... with much that we can take pride in, but there are also areas where we have faced stern tests and there are things we need to do better. Early in the year, the people of eThekwini were forced to cope with black-outs and load-shedding as the country grappled with under-investment in its power stations. Power utility Eskom has since got matters under control, but the national grid is stretched perilously thin and we will all have to do much more to save electricity if we are to avoid further loadshedding.

The rand has also slumped as the global economic crisis begins to hit home. The shake-up in world markets continues, and it is having serious consequences for South Africans, which will continue in the year ahead. And as if that was not enough, natural disasters have also taken their toll. Flooding hit the South Coast earlier this year and, more recently, storms devastated Molweni, KwaMakhutha and other areas.

But there is seldom a dark cloud without a silver lining, and it was encouraging to see how the different arms of government, as well as volunteers, and emergency and relief workers pitched in to help those left homeless by the storms and flooding. Another source of satisfaction has been the tremendous progress made by our municipality. We continue to deliver on our promises. When it comes to the provision of houses, eThekwini has excelled, something that has not escaped the attention of the national government, and we have won recognition for this in the form of the Govan Mbeki Housing Award.

Jobs

Job creation is another area where the Municipality has shone. Then there is the rehabilitation of our roads, which has also helped create jobs. Tourism remains healthy in eThekwini with many exciting opportunities on the horizon, including the World Cup in 2010. Crime, unfortunately, remains unacceptably high, but the government is working on the problem, and the good news is that violent crimes seem to be dropping. We remain committed to the principles of Batho Pele (people first) and with this to guide us, the Municipality is speeding up service delivery. So, as we look to the future, we are confident that we can indeed build a better life for all.