According to Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), local municipalities must provide for a democratic and accountable climate for local municipalities.
Municipalities must do this within its financial and administrative capacity to enable it to give priority to basic needs of communities in order to promote social and economic development within their jurisdiction functional areas. Amahlathi Municipality therefore is no exception. It must account on how we have been handling the administrative and financial functions on behalf of our communities. One must say it up front that Amahlathi Municipality has been re-constituted properly after the 18 May 2011 local government elections and council structures have been established.
The majority of the voters have once again given the Majority Party ANC to lead the council. This is not a blank cheque but confidence shown that will enable us to render services that are aimed at bettering the lives of the majority who are African and blacks in general in this municipality. Amahlathi Municipality has oiled its machinery in order to make sure that the beneficiaries of service delivery (communities) are participating in rendering such services.
I would like to thank the political structures of the Council for the vigour and energy shown thus far in grappling with the complexity of governance and in shaping a conflict free kind of an environment for the smooth operation of Council programmes. It is no doubt that the courage and co-operation demonstrated thus far will lead the municipality into a sound administrative and political environment that will translate into sound, viable and sustainable development for the communities as our structures by now are up and running.