ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DECISIONS
The City’s Executive Committee (EXCO) held a meeting today, 17 February, where several resolutions were adopted to accelerate implementation and respond to current challenges facing the Municipality.
These reports will proceed to Full Council for final approval.
CITY MAKING PROGRESS TO REPAIR AND UPGRADE DAMAGED SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE
The City is taking decisive action to strengthen compliance, repair flood-affected infrastructure, and modernise its wastewater treatment works while maintaining lawful operations.
Through its Sanitation Services Directorate, the Municipality manages and operates 27 wastewater treatment works.
Of these, 23 facilities hold valid authorisations.
The remaining four facilities are in the process of submitting authorisation applications to regularise their legal status in line with current legislative requirements.
Several of the Municipality’s treatment works have been in operation for many years, prior to the promulgation of the National Water Act.
These facilities were historically authorised under the Water Act (Act 54 of 1956).
These authorisations, known as Exemption Permits, fall under the category of Existing Lawful Uses (ELUs).
The ELU framework allows treatment works that were lawfully operating under the previous legislation to continue operating until they are licensed under current legislation or upgraded to meet new regulatory standards.
The Sanitation Services Directorate presented at the Executive Committee meeting on the status of the infrastructure including ongoing functional upgrade and repair work.
Some of the City’s sanitation
infrastructure was damaged by the floods between 2022 and 2024.
Repair and rehabilitation programmes are actively underway.
Immediate interventions have been implemented to stop pollution and contain environmental risks particularly from treatment works while permanent restoration works continue.
The City is implementing functional upgrades at several facilities to improve operational efficiency, increase treatment capacity where required, and enable migration to new licences under current water legislation.
ETHEKWINI TO SUPPORT IEC PREPARATIONS FOR 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
The Executive Committee has noted the legislative requirements obligating eThekwini Municipality to support the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in ensuring readiness for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
In line with this responsibility, the Executive Committee resolved to grant authority to the City Manager to enter and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the IEC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office.
The MOU will formalise cooperation between the Municipality and the IEC to support preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections and to ensure that the elections are hosted in a transparent, free, and peaceful manner across the City.
EXPIRED MUVO CARDS TO BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE FOR A LIMITED PERIOD
The Executive Committee has approved expenditure of R535,900.00 (including VAT) to facilitate the free replacement of expired MUVO cards for a limited period.
MUVO cards expiring on 31 May 2026, 30 June 2026, and 31 October 2026 will be replaced at no cost to the public.
It is estimated that approximately 8 000 cards will need to be re-issued during this period.
This intervention is aimed at ensuring continued access to public transport services while the Municipality transitions to a new Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system.
The procurement process for the new AFC system is currently underway.
AUTHORITY TO REVIEW TARIFFS AND IMPLEMENT ADDITIONAL NEW 2026/27 TARIFFS FOR AGRIBUSINESS AGRIPARK INCUBATORS
An in-principal approval was granted to increase the Agribusiness tariffs by 5 percent, and to subsequently commence with the public participation process in accordance with statutory requirements, with this process to solicit public input in preparation for the approval of fully consulted tariffs together with the Municipality’s annual budget in May 2026.
The Municipality also intends on introducing additional Agribusiness tariffs, effective from 1 July 2026 which will be applicable to facilities including, broiler production units, Agro-processing facility, packhouse, market stalls and sheep feedlot.
The Agribusiness rental programme emanates from the eThekwini Agribusiness Master Plan focus area, which seeks to incubate start-up and growth-oriented entrepreneurs operating within the sustainable food value chain.
APPROVAL OF INCENTIVE AS PER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE POLICY
The Executive Committee recommended approval of applications for financial incentives for Estine Development (Pty) Ltd and Cedar Point (Pty) Ltd in in line with the City’s Economic Development Incentive Policy (EDIP).
Estine Developments is a new capital investment of approximately R250 million including shop fit outs by both developers and tenants and will be injected into the local economy, with a strong emphasis on sourcing from local suppliers and labour.
Cedar Point (Pty) Ltd is Whetstone Petro Port, a commercial development valued at approximately R320 million comprises of a mega commercial footprint of 12 000m² that houses a fuel station which will include several drive-through restaurants.
The EDIP provides financial incentives in the form of property rates rebates aimed at stimulating investment, reducing the cost of development, and strengthening the Municipality’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
The incentive is as below:
• Estine Development (Pty) Ltd has been granted 50 percent property rates rebate for a fixed period of three (3) years, commencing from the date of final signature of the Memorandum of Agreement.
• Cedar Point (Pty) Ltd has been granted 60 percent property rates rebate for a fixed period of three (3) years, also commencing from the date of final signature of the Memorandum of Agreement.
The City Manager was granted authority to enter into the Memorandum of Agreement with each applicant.
ENDS
Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate
