18 November 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit

RE: KZN LEGISLATURE’S AGRICULTURE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE CALLS ON FARMING COMMUNITIES TO BE VIGILANT AGAINST BRUCELLA BACTERIA

KwaZulu-Natal Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development has warned communities living in areas where there has been an outbreak of brucella bacteria to be vigilant when dealing with suspicious animals.

Brucella Bacteria is an animal-borne disease which causes abortion, infertility, reduced milk production and weakened joints in bovine animals and infected people.

Brucellosis is primarily a cattle disease but may affect most other mammals, including humans. Humans who are at risk of contracting the disease are people who work with animals such veterinarians, farmers, farm workers and abattoir employees.

The Portfolio Committee has noted the intervention of the provincial department of Agriculture and Rural Development which has embarked on a campaign to vaccinate animals in affected districts and educate communities affected by the bacteria.

“Agriculture has been identified as a key driver in ensuring food security and radical economic development in the province. We need to work together to deal with anything which seeks to threaten our agricultural potential such as the Brucella bacteria. We urge our communities to co-operate with departmental officials and attend information sharing sessions so that they understand the bacteria and know how to identify its symptoms,” said Committee Chairperson Honourable Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha.

The portfolio committee will monitor the department’s intervention strategies as part of its oversight exercise on the department.

The committee also sends out its deepest sympathies to the farmers who have lost their livestock.
“We understand that most farmers are dependent on this livestock for their livelihood. It is for this reason that we appeal to the farmers to co-operate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development so that they will be familiar with protocols to be followed to minimise the impact of this outbreak,’ said Sibhidla-Saphetha.

Ends
Issued by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Hon NN Sibhidla-Saphetha Cell No: 0833013622.
For media inquiries please contact Committee Media Officer Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532

08 November 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit

PASSING AWAY OF PRINCE LETHUKUTHULA ZULU

The KZN Legislature has learned with shock and sadness of the passing on of Prince Lethukuthula Zulu, the eldest son of His Majesty Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Her Majesty Queen Sibongile MaDlamini.
The KZN Legislature would like to convey the deepest condolences to His Majesty Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Her Majesty Queen Sibongile MaDlamini and the entire Zulu Royal Family.
KZN Legislature has a very good relationship with the Zulu Royal Family which has spanned several decades.
It is through this relationship that His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini annually delivers an address to the legislature marking the beginning of the legislature calendar.
Members and officials of the KZN Legislature will keep the Zulu Royal Family in their prayers through this difficult period.
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Issued by the KZN Legislature Communications Unit
For more information please contact Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532

For Immediate Release

07 November 2020

KWAZULU-NATAL LEGISLATURE MOURNS THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF ITS DEPUTY SPEAKER, MR MLULEKI NDOBE

Today, 7 November 2020 we woke up to the heart-rending news of the untimely passing of KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Deputy Speaker, Mr Mluleki Ndobe. He passed away at his Durban home yesterday evening. He had been unwell for some time.

With his passing, our legislature and indeed the entire country has lost an upright leader, a deep thinker, and a true servant of the people. In this hour of grief, we find comfort in knowing that Mr Ndobe leaves behind a rich legacy for all of us to emulate.

Mr Ndobe, a teacher by profession, joined the legislature at the beginning of the 6th term in 2019 after having successfully served as the Mayor of Harry District Municipality.

Because of his outstanding leadership traits, it did not take long for Mr Ndobe to fully grasp every facet of the legislative sector. His rare qualities earned him tremendous respect among his peers.

This is not surprising because throughout his life, Ndobe performed extraordinary deeds in various structures and domains he served in. These include the local sphere of government, the Congress of South African Students, the African National Congress Youth League and the African National Congress (ANC).

In recognising his leadership qualities, his organisation, the ANC, elected him to serve as the ANC Regional Chairperson in Harry Gwala region and later as the ANC Provincial Deputy Secretary.

At the time of his death, he was a member of the crucial ANC Provincial Working Committee. His colleagues at the legislature also saw it fit to make him the institution’s second in command.

Ndobe belonged to the generation of leaders who dedicated their lives to serving the people with distinction. That is why he continued to offer his services to the people of KwaZulu-Natal even during the time when he was ill.

He will be missed for his ability to unite members of the legislature across the political spectrum towards a common goal.
He will also be remembered for his love for education. After obtaining his education degree, he continued to broaden his horizons and received an MBA at Mancosa. He was reading towards his doctorate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Mr Ndobe also represented the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in the legislative sector’s Pension Fund Board where he also served as the Deputy Chairperson. His duties in the legislature included capacity building, members affairs and discipline.

On behalf of the legislature community, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the Ndobe family, his friends and the organisation he represented in the legislature. May his revolutionary soul rest in peace.

Details of the funeral will be communicated after the legislature has engaged with the family.

ISSUED BY KWAZULU-NATAL LEGISLATURE SPEAKER NONTEMBEKO BOYCE

For more information contact:
Nomusa Phungula
Office of the Speaker Media Liaison
071 851 0085/ 072 294 7237

From 27 -29 October 2020, various delegations of Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and KwaZulu-Natal Permanent Delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) conducted oversight visits to all municipalities in KZN to assess the functionality of war-rooms as coordinating centres of service delivery at a local level.

War-rooms are a vehicle that coordinates and facilitates integrated service delivery at a ward level and provide quick responses to dire needs for services to communities. They profile households in their wards and the level of service delivery per household, with specific reference to the eradication of poverty and the general improvement of the quality of life.

This week Members of the Legislature and NCOP Permanent Delegates visited the war-rooms to assess their functionality, with special focus on the participation and the role played by key stakeholders such as provincial and national   departments of Social Development, Education, Health, Transport, Human Settlement, SAPS, Agriculture, COGTA, SASSA, Home Affairs, District and Local Municipalities, Councillors, Amakhosi as well as local community structures such as ward committees.    

The visits to war rooms have identified a number of challenges that hinder the effective functioning of the war rooms at a ward level in various municipalities. Some of the challenges include lack of participation and attendance of war room meetings by some departments, lack of resources in war rooms such as furniture and computers, lack of participation by community structures, rising social ills such as drug abuse and teenage pregnancy in schools, provision of water and housing. 

Media Statement
For Immediate Release
Date: 29 October 2020
Attention: Political Reporters, News Editors, Assignment Editors

KZN LEGISLATURE TO HOLD ITS TAKING LEGISLATURE TO PEOPLE PROGRAMME IN ETHEKWINI METRO AMIDST LOCKDOWN LEVEL-1

It’s all systems go for the KZN Legislature to hold its first Taking Legislature to People sitting in the Durban City Hall on the 3rd and 4th November 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown level-1.

Necessitated by level-1 lockdown regulations, the sitting will be held under strict COVID-19 health protocols including social distancing, wearing of masks and regular sanitization inside the venue. The venue will also accommodate not more than 250 people including MPLs, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), Councilors, government officials, media and other invited stakeholders.

The two- day sitting follows the visits to various wards in Ethekwini Metro by multiparty delegations of the Legislature, which met with communities to listen to their concerns regarding service delivery. A report on the multiparty visits will be presented and debated during the Taking Legislature to People sitting.

This is in line with the Legislature’s commitment to give communities an opportunity to interact with their public representatives and raise issues which affect them and need government intervention.

Due to the limited number of people who will be allowed inside City Hall, the media is requested to confirm attendance by sending RSVP by 02 November to the communication team on the contact details provided hereunder.

Ends

Issued by
Communications Unit
KZN Legislature
For more information and RSVP, please contact
Sina Nxumalo
Cell: 0829060449
Email: nxumalow@kznleg.gov.za
Or
Wonder Hlongwa
Cell: 0829083532
Or
Wesley Canham
Cell: 0833767299
Email: canhamw@kznleg.gov.za

25 October 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit

WAR-ROOMS FUNCTIONALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME

Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature will be deployed throughout the province this week to assess the state of War-Rooms.
The concept of War-Rooms refers to the space where the coordinating task team at ward level provides a direct link to the community, coordinates profiling and integrates service delivery.
The legislature adopted the War Rooms Functionality Programme in 2018 as part of its constitutional mandate to exercise oversight over the executive arm of government and this year’s visit would be a follow-up to check if issues raised in 2018 have been resolved.
During the 2018 visits the Legislature acknowledged that some good work had been done to launch the war-rooms programme.
The report from the Office of the Premier indicated that many wards in all districts and the Metro had war-rooms. This was a clear indication that the province was moving in the right direction.
All the teams acknowledged in their reports that the war-rooms are a good vehicle for service delivery, but which are not optimally functional, as required.
Eleven war-room oversight teams have been established, one team per district and the Metro. Each team will visit six war-rooms that were visited in 2018 per district and three new war-rooms that were not visited in 2018. The total number of war-rooms to be visited by each team will be nine.
The War-Rooms Functionality programme co-incides with the visit to three districts (Umgungundlovu, Umzinyathi and Uthukela) by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Teams deployed in these districts will only visit one War-Room because they will also be seized with the work of the NCOP.
Visits to all districts begin on Tuesday 27th ending on Thursday the 29th of October.
Ends
Issued by KZN Legislature Communications Unit
For more information please contact Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532