26 MFUMFU 2025

UMeya wesiFunda iLembe uKhansela Thobani Shandu kanye noSomlomo weLembe uKhansela Dolly Shandu , nama khansela kaMasipala waseMandeni eholwa UMeya uKhansela Thabani Mdlalose bebehambele umcimbi wokungeniswa kweNkosi yesizwe saseMacambini iNkosi Mthokozisi Mathaba .

Ukhansela Thabani Shandu, ubongele isizwe saseMacambini ngalengqophamlando yomcimbi, wanxusa namaKhosi ahlukene abethamele lomcimbi ukuthi aqhubeke nokubambisana nohulumeni ukuphucula izimpilo zabantu. ” Siyabonga Mcambi ukuthi usiko lesintu seluze lwagcineka, siyathemba amaxhama ukuxhumana kanye nokusebenzela isizwe kuzoqhubeka ngokubambisana nomasipala abakhele indawo engaphansi kweNkosi. Umkhandlu weLembe uzimisele ukubambisana nawowonke amakhosi angaphansi kwesiFunda” kusho uShandu.

“Sinokusebenzisana okuhle nawowonke amakhosi angaphansi kwesifunda iLembe, ubukhona kwethu lapha kuwubufakazi bokuthi amaxhama okubambisana aqinile, sizoqhubeka nokubambisana namakhosi Kanye nokuphuthumisa intuthuko ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezisemakhaya”

The iLembe District Municipality successfully hosted a vital School Safety programme, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to ensuring the well-being and security of learners and educators across the district. The programme, held on October 16, served as a local initiative to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (observed globally on October 13) and brought together key stakeholders to address critical aspects of school-based disaster risk management and safety.

The iLembe District Municipality Chairperson on Economic Development and Planning portfolio, Councillor Hlengiwe Makhatha, delivered an impactful address on the mayor’s behalf, underscoring the municipality’s dedication to fostering a safe and resilient educational environment.
“It is critically important for our students to take the information presented today back home and share it with their family and community members. Given the many natural disaster challenges faced by the iLembe District, our students must become informed community members—active agents of safety—on disaster risks and the essential methods to mitigate them.” – Councilor Makhata

Practical Demonstrations and Critical Knowledge Sharing

The programme went beyond theory, focusing on actionable knowledge: “In the past financial year, over 100 schools in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal were affected by natural disasters. Engagements like this are crucial to helping schools and students mitigate the impact of these events.” – Mr. Bheki Phungula, Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC).

“During an extreme lightning thunderstorm, students should seek shelter indoors and avoid being near tall, lone trees. It’s also vital not to take a bath or shower during a thunderstorm, as water pipes can conduct electricity, increasing the risk of being struck by lightning.” – Mr. S. Ngubane, iLembe District Municipality Disaster Manager.

Thelumsa Mbongwa from KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Fire provided students with a vital practical demonstration on ways that students can help someone who is drowning using practical home materials.

The programme’s primary purpose was to assist schools in developing a comprehensive disaster management plan, which includes providing an overview of the iLembe District Profile, sharing a step-by-step process of conducting school-based risk assessments, outlining a practical guide towards the development of a school risk profile, and presenting a recommended structure for a school-based disaster management plan.

Addressing District-Specific Hazards

The iLembe District remains prone to both natural and man-made hazards. The district has experienced an increase in the magnitude and severity of weather events such as heavy rainfall, strong winds, hail, and lightning, as well as structural and veld fires. Beyond natural disasters, schools also face myriad challenges including high crime rates, burglary, substance abuse, bullying, and foodborne illnesses. This programme directly addresses these concerns by factoring them into comprehensive school-based disaster management plans.

Key Components of the School Safety Programme

The programme outlined a robust framework for school-based risk assessment and disaster management, including: Forming a Disaster Management Team, Identifying Potential Hazards (natural and man-made), a Risk Assessment (Step By Step Approach) for continuous monitoring, and Creating a Disaster Response and Recovery Plan.

Priority Risks and Mitigation Strategies

The district’s priority risks for 2025/26 include Fire (Veld/Structural), Strong Winds, Floods, Lightning, Illegal Electricity Connections, Road Accidents, Drought (Water Shortage), Health Hazards (Food Borne Illnesses), and Crime. The programme provided a school-based risk profile identifying various hazards along with their likelihood, frequency, impact, and proposed preventative and mitigation strategies.

The iLembe District Municipality extends its profound gratitude to the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, KwaDukuza Disaster Management, KwaDukuza Fire Service, Working on Fire, and especially the students and Educators of Stanger South Secondary School for  making the engagement a success. The municipality remains committed to continuing these crucial initiatives to safeguard our schools and communities by empowering them with knowledge and practical skills.

iLembe District Municipality hosted a successful OSS/DDM Political Hub Meeting for Quarter 1, chaired by the District and graced by the Deputy Minister for Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (National OSS/DDM Champion), the Mayors of Maphumulo Local Municipality, Mandeni Local Municipality, Ndwedwe Local Municipality, and KwaDukuza Municipality.

Key highlights included insightful presentations from uMngeni-uThukela Water, Human Settlements, SASSA, Eskom, iLembe District’s Technical Services and Planning Departments, as well as the Safety & Security, Social, Governance, and Economic Clusters. The meeting also received important updates on the District Task Team, OSS functionality, DDM Catalytic Projects, and the Review of the One Plan.

Mayor, Cllr. T.P. Shandu, said “The Council, remains committed to working in conjunction with all stakeholders to transform the lives of our people. Through good governance, integrity, and collaboration, we are building a district that delivers on its promises of quality service delivery and sustainable development for all.”

Together, OSS/DDM stakeholders are driving integrated development and service delivery for the benefit of all communities in iLembe.

#iLembeDistrict #OSS #DDM #ServiceDelivery #OnePlan #WorkingTogethe

Emzamweni wokuthuthukisa ukufinyelelekisa kokuphakelwa kwamanzi okuphephile, okuthembekile nokusimeme emiphakathini yasemakhaya, ukukhuthaza ukuqwashisa ngempilo nokuhlanzeka kanye nokuthuthukisa izimpilo zabantu bakumasipala wesiFunda iLembe, uSodolobha uKhansela T.P Shandu unikezele emphakathini waseSonkombo nase Matholamnyama, eNdwedwe uhlelo lwamanzi namuhla, ngoLwesihlanu 5 Septhemba enkundleni yezemidlalo eMatholamnyama.

“Umphakathi ozozuza kuloluhlelo ulinganiselwe kubantu abangu-19 064 kwimizi engu-2 383 eSonkombo kanye nabanye abantu abangaba ngu-2 626 kwimizi engu-367 e-Matholamnyama ngaphansi kwamawadi amathathu eNdwedwe nokungo wadi-10, 11 no-12,”  kusho uShandu.

Izindleko eziphelele zesigaba sohlelo lwase-Sonkombo zingama-R41 276 560 kanti izindleko eziphelele zesigaba sohlelo lwase-Matholamnyama zingama-R26 875 520.

Umsebenzi wonke waloluhlelo ubuhlanganisa ukwakhiwa kwamapayipi wokuhambisa amanzi kwizigcinimanzi ezintsha; Gumbi, Ndondolo, Ntuli naseMatholamnyama nokuyimanje ziyasebenza ukuhambisa amanzi emiphakathini yaseSonkombo naseMatholamnyama.

“Amathuba omsebenzi kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono amalungu omphakathi wendawo kubalulekile kuMasipala wesiFundaiLembe ngakho-ke ngesikhathi kuqedwa loluhlelo lwokuvuselela amanzi eSonkombo, abantu bendawo abangu-52 baqashwa kwathi  eMatholamnyama kwaqashwa abantu bendawo abangu-71, kusho uSodolobha.

Nakuba zombili lezi zinhlelo zike zanezingqinamba, uShandu uphethe ngokuthi usonkontileka usefinyelele esigabeni sokuphothula umsebenzi futhi nomphakathi usuvele uyazuza kulezi ngalezinhlelo ezithuthukisiwe.
“Ngaphezu kwalokho yonke imizi engama-367 eMatholamnyama izokwazi ukuthola amanzi ngokuxhuma egcekeni. ESonkombo umphakathi waseNdondolo uzothola amanzi ngemuva kwesikhathi eside ngaphandle kokunikezwa kwamanzi ngendlela ngenxa yaloluhlelo,” kuphetha uSodolobha.

The iLembe District’s “Closing the 1.1 Million HIV Treatment Gap” campaign took place today at the Umfolozi TVET College – Chief Albert Luthuli Campus in KwaDukuza.

The campaign’s goal is to identify and support the 1.1 million people living with HIV who know their status but aren’t on treatment yet, or who have stopped taking it. This effort addresses a critical gap in the country’s HIV response. The day began with a briefing meeting to ensure that everyone involved was aligned, informed, and prepared before the main event.
Welcoming everyone to the event, Campus Manager Mr. Sanjith Hooblal said it was fitting that Umfolozi was chosen as the host since the event aligns with the college’s motto, “let the future be known.”
“To let the future be known, it is important to ensure you have a future first. This starts by taking care of ourselves and taking our treatment,” he said.

Outlining the purpose of the day and the “Closing the 1.1 Million HIV Treatment Gap” report, Velaphi Bhengu, the iLembe District health department’s primary health care supervisor and operational manager for KwaDukuza, urged students to finish their HIV and TB treatment once they start it. He also stated that the department will investigate installing an adolescent and youth-friendly service at the Groutville Clinic where young people can access services without restraint.

The South African government, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, and other stakeholders, launched the campaign in February of this year to accelerate efforts toward achieving the 95-95-95 HIV targets.

Bhengu shared details on how far the KwaDukuza subdistrict is in terms of closing the treatment gap, stating that there were 37,574 people on treatment in February 2025. The subdistrict was given a target of 40,838 people by December 2025. The current number is 37,536, making the gap 3,264.
“We are here to find out today what is chasing people, especially young people, away from clinics and keeping them from accessing treatment,” he said. “The department has come up with reasons why we are regressing in terms of numbers and why people are defaulting on treatment. These include stigma, discrimination, medication side-effects, people moving away, the treatment patients receive in clinics, and not enough knowledge being shared with patients on how the treatment works.”

His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Thobani Shandu, delivered the keynote address, presenting statistics shared at the District Aids Council, which he chairs, earlier this week.
“In this district, we have children as young as ten, 15, and 19 who are pregnant, and some are infected with the virus. It is painful to see parents collect college degrees on graduation day because their child is no longer alive,” he said.

Mayor Shandu urged people not to be ashamed of taking treatments.
“I know some people in Mandeni who would go collect treatment in Eshowe because of shame. Being ashamed of your own health and your life does not make sense. Some of us cannot afford to do that. We don’t come from the same families; some of us come from really struggling homes who are depending on us to make something of ourselves and to uplift our homes,” said the District Mayor.

Ending his address, Mayor Shandu urged the students to do their part so that the government can continue to do its part.
“We have the Siyaya Emhlangeni camp starting today as part of Operation Siyaya eMhlangeni in preparation for Umkhosi womHlanga 2025, and the parade is this Saturday. The government is doing its part in addressing social ills and preserving culture; you must do yours,” said Cllr Shandu.

The Mayor of iLembe District Municipality, Cllr. Thobani Shandu, was on site when the district municipality installed a diesel generator at “Reservoir A” situated near Udumo High School in Mandeni. The generator will ensure that a number of townships feeding off this facility do not run out of water during the intermittent power outages.

Mhlazi 10 August 2025 eMandeni, enkundleni yezemidlalo yase Windowfield, Umasipala wesiFunda iLembe uholwa uMeya, Khansela Thobani Shandu kanye namakhansela omkhandlu wesiFunda iLembe, baphelezelwe amakhansela omkhandlu waseMandeni okuzokwethula iprojekthi yakwakhiwa izindlu zangasese ezibalelwa emakhulwini angama 950 emawadini ayisithupha okubalwa kuwo wadi 2, 8, 11, 16, 17 no-18) aseMandeni.

Umphakathi wawuphakamise ukwakhelwa izindlu zangasese kumhlangano weNtuthuko eDidiyelwe (Integrated Development Plan) owawubanjelwe eMsunduzi Sports Field kuMbasa wezi-2025. Ethula inkulumo yakhe uMeya, Thobani Shandu ugxile kakhulu enkulumeni egqugquzela umphakathi ukuba uyihambele imhlangano yeNtuthuko eDidiyelwe. “Kuhlelelwe u-R8,5 million ukuze kuhlomule imindeni enguphezulu kwamakhulu amane engaphansi kwezigceme zakwaSthebe, kanti enye ingxenye yezindlu zangasese izokwakhelwa imizi eku-ward 2 naku-ward 8 eMandeni kanti lo msebenzi unesabelo sawo sika-R10 Million.” IMeya uThobani Shandu 

Le phrojekthi ihlelelwe ukuhlomulisa amabhizinisi endawo kanye namathuba omsebenzi kubahlali bendawo futhi kugcizelelwe kakhulu ukuqashwa kwabesifazane. “Singuhulumeni okhathalelayo futhi osabela ngokushesha ezidingweni zokulethwa kwezidingo zomphakathi futhi ukwethulwa kwalolu hlelo namuhla kuyinkomba yalokho.” – IMeya yesifunda iLembe uThobani Shandu.