African National Congress (ANC) councilor, Cyril Xaba has been elected as the new mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
The municipality convened a special council sitting on Wednesday to elect a new executive mayor.
This comes a month after the ANC redeployed former eThekwini mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
The election of a new mayor was delayed due to negotiations over the composition of municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) between various political parties.
The ANC has entered into a coalition arrangement with Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and National Freedom Party (NFP) after losing its stronghold on KZN in the 2024 general election.
Xaba elected uncontested
On Wednesday, Xaba was elected unopposed by the eThekwini council.
The ANC member was immediately sworn-in as the city’s new mayor and gave his maiden speech.
“I stand before you today with immense gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility as I take the oath of loyalty to the Constitution and all other laws. This honour you have bestowed on me is not one I take lightly.
“It is a responsibility I humbly accept knowing very well the expectation that comes with the job. Thus, I pledge not to fail the residents of this beautiful city,” Xaba said.
The new eThekwini mayor said there would be reviews on “areas that have not performed well and implement new approaches”.
“Our priorities are clear: To name but a few, we will focus on improving water and sanitation infrastructyre as well as ensuring uninterrupted water supply, a safe and clean city, inner city, rejuvenation, strengthening good governance and fighting corruption, attracting invest and promoting an inclusive economy that creates jobs.”
He also thanked Kaunda and other former mayors.
“My predecessors laid a solid foundation, building on this foundation we will continue working closely with community leaders, business and all our stakeholders to create solutions that reflect our collective aspirations.”
Newly elected eThekwini Mayor, Councillor Cyril Xaba, takes oath of office soon after he was elected unopposed. pic.twitter.com/PV9VUddqOw
— eThekwini Municipality (@eThekwiniM) July 10, 2024
ANC KZN reacts
The ANC in KZN has welcomed the outcome, saying Xaba was the right leader who would “strengthen good and clean governance” given his experience in politics.
“He will ensure a strong focus on caring and responsive service delivery for the benefit of residents. He understands that all political parties in the city represent the aspirations of the people.
“He will therefore ensure the cooperation of all political parties to ensure the reconfiguration of the municipal committees.
“This will strengthen the oversight role over the city’s administration to usher in efficiency and speed in service,” the provincial party’s statement reads.
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