President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed R35-billion to the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality as part of the District Development Model.
He announced the funding during the launch of the model in KwaMashu north of Durban on Friday.
The new development model will provide a streamlined and well-coordinated approach between government departments and municipalities when responding to a wide range of development needs.
Ramaphosa says the model which is being piloted in a few municipalities including eThekwini will also address socio-economic challenges.
“It will not only revolve around what government is going to do, it will also look at how our investment trajectory is going to work in the province, where we will get the business sector, NGO’s and all others involved. And of course, the driver and the real engine is going to be government at the three levels.”
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, says she is optimistic that this development model will be able to respond to challenges facing communities.
Durban residents however say they are running out of patience with the government’s slow responses to issues like service delivery, job creation, and drug abuse.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has vowed that government will not hesitate to remove non-performing government officials, including its political deployees.
Next month, the government will launch the district development model in the mining region of the Waterberg District Municipality in Limpopo.
No date has been given for the implementation of the new model in eThekwini.
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