Durban – Newly elected eThekwini deputy mayor Zandile Myeni has called on residents to attend community meetings where they would be able to engage their leaders on the challenges that communities were facing.
She said criticising public leaders on social media without engaging them in a platform set-up does not help.
Myeni, an NFP councillor, was elected as a deputy mayor of eThekwini on the ticket of the smaller parties, and the ANC said that it was important to ensure that the city was stable and therefore able to take progressive decisions.
Myeni replaced Abantu Batho Congress leader Philani Mavundla who was ousted last year amid a public fallout with the mayor of eThekwini Mxolisi Kaunda.
Speaking on the eThekwini Municipality platform, eThekwini Matters, Myeni spoke of a number of crucial issues in local governance, from the importance of the stability of eThekwini to the importance of getting used to the concept of coalition governance.
“The first priority is that we need to make sure that we stabilise the city, when I say stabilise I mean that it is of paramount importance that we understand that as politicians we have another mandate that is we rise above our petty political issues, because in a stable city you will get meetings that takes decisions, that are progressive, that is where you will get accountability.
“It's our responsibility to ensure everything we do is done according to the book,” she said.
She also urged residents to take interest in the affairs of their community by attending public meetings.
“There is a new notion of lambasting public leaders on social media, it does not help, when you come to a meeting you come with concrete things of saying these are the challenges, and our councillors are ready to communicate with the public but at times you find that the meetings do not quorate because the people, do not attend,” she said.
Myeni stated that it was as important for the public to get used to the concerns of coalition governance.
She said coalition government was a new way of governing, where the community was trusting multiple parties to govern.