Mashatile officially opens Parly Constituency Office in Ntuzuma

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has officially opened a Parliamentary Constituency Office in Ntuzuma, north of Durban. The office is aimed at bringing elected representatives closer to communities and helping residents get assistance with their concerns.

Following the opening of the office, Mashatile conducted a door-to-door visit in neighbouring KwaMashu, where residents raised concerns about poverty, unemployment, healthcare and deteriorating infrastructure.

For some residents in KwaMashu, the visit by the Deputy President was an opportunity to highlight the daily struggles facing their households.

Mashatile visited a child-headed household, where family members spoke about the difficulties of living in poverty. He assured the family that officials from the Department of Social Development would assess their circumstances and provide the necessary support.

He also visited Thulile Linda, who shares a two-bedroom house with nine family members.

Linda raised concerns about unemployment and deteriorating infrastructure, including asbestos in the area, which she says poses a potential health hazard.

Mashatile says the new constituency office will help government track complaints and hold the relevant authorities accountable for responding to community concerns.

“The PCO compiles reports, they will say that there is a problem of crime here. This is what happens. There is a problem of burst pipes or whatever that leads to challenge of water. So, those reports, when they reach us, we then take these to relevant ministers and deputy ministers or municipality and a provincial government to then act because that is an important thing. Communities must not raise problems and nothing is done. So, you are going to see a lot of actions arising out of those reports we get,” says Mashatile.

The office is expected to provide residents with a direct channel to raise concerns with their elected representatives and ensure that complaints reach the relevant government departments.

ANC eThekwini regional coordinator, Thanduxolo Sabelo, says the office could also help accelerate interventions around water and sanitation, which remain major challenges in the municipality.

“As the people of Ethekwini, we are very excited about having this office because this is where the Deputy President will be able to interact with the community direct and talk to the president or deputy president. What is more important and exciting to us is that the DP is the chairperson of quite a number of interministerial task teams including the task team for Water and Sanitation. So, that will be able to help us as Ethekwini, because our biggest challenges are water and sanitation. We hope that him being here will mean that we can fast track this process and we can get water coming from the tap for each and every household.”

Water-related concerns were also raised by KwaMashu resident Michael Mcineka, who says his home has been without a water meter since 2021.

For residents, the expectation is that the new office will do more than receive complaints. They want to see government interventions translate into practical assistance and lasting solutions.