Durban - The MEC for Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal, Nonhlanhla Khoza, has lauded the role played by the late Ugu District Municipality Mayor, Phumlile Mthiyane, in meeting her duties as the leader of her community.
This comes after Mthiyane succumbed to a short illness on Monday at her home in Uvongo, on the KZN’s south coast. Her passing follows that of her colleague, Municipal Manager Dr Elliot Ntombela, who passed away on Saturday after being hospitalised for more than three weeks.
Khoza, an Ugu District Development Champion, described, in a statement, the passing of Mthiyane as a huge blow to service delivery, adding that she had learnt with great shock and profound sadness of the death of Mthiyane, who dedicated her life to serving the residents of the district.
Khoza visited Mthiyane’s homestead yesterday afternoon in a delegation that included members of the KZN legislature and senior government officials.
Khoza described Mthiyane as a diligent leader.
"As District Development Champion, we have been working very well with the Mayor as we deal with challenges facing the community of Ugu. At no stage did she flinch from her commitment to better the lives of her community across the District. She never relented in her struggle or wavered in her commitment, despite all challenges the council faced," she said.
Khoza said Mayor Mthiyane had paved the way for women to reclaim their positions, even in her organisation, the ANC, saying that she fought relentlessly for the rights and welfare of all women across her district and the province, and was one of the female mayors they had and never feared that she would, one day, misrepresent them.
She added that the passing of Mthiyane had robbed the people of KwaZulu-Natal of a leader who was committed to advancing women’s agenda.
"We have known her, even in our organisation, the ANC, as a person who was always focused. Her interest was to see people's lives better at all times, and she was among the women appointed to be part of the ANCWL Provincial Task Team working towards building structures of the organisation ahead of the conference. Her demise hurts us more knowing that she left her little children," said Khoza.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube also shared her condolences for the passing.
“An unusual and very painful tragedy has happened in the Ugu District Municipality. Lighting has struck twice in the same place, leaving us all in tears that will take time to dry, and our province is much poorer for it. We are devastated by the sudden passing of Her Worship, Mayor Mthiyane, just days after the passing of the Municipal Manager, Dr Ntombela,” said Dube-Ncube.
She said this was a double tragedy whose impact effectively decimated the top leadership of Ugu District Municipality in a matter of days.
Dube-Ncube said that the passing of Mthiyane left a gaping wound in the province as she was one of the best rising leaders in local government and that her death was a great shock as more was expected from her.
“Both the Mayor and the Municipal Manager had been central cogs in implementing the programmes to resolve the water challenges in the Ugu District Municipality and were leading figures in the water war room works daily to effect progress,” said Dube-Ncube.
She further relayed her condolences.
"On behalf of the government and the people of KwaZulu-Natal, we express our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Councillor Mthiyane. We also take this opportunity to pay our deepest respects to the family of Dr Ntombela, the Municipal Manager. May their souls rest in eternal peace," said Dube-Ncube.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE