Chris Pappas, the highly decorated Democratic Alliance (DA) mayor of uMngeni local municipality will again seek re-election to the top post.
The municipality anchored in Howick on the province’s midlands region is the only council in KwaZulu-Natal which the DA has an outright majority. The first for the blue party in as many years. The DA snatched the council from the ANC during the 2021 municipal elections.
Pappas won the contest after a gruelling internal selection process where party hopefuls with mayoral ambitions had submitted their CVs before going through an intense interviewing process. On Friday, he was announced as the overall winner.
“When we took office in 2021, many said it couldn't be done. They said a young mayor would fail. They said our council would collapse. They said the institution was too broken. Some doubted us. Some laughed at us. Some waited for us to fail. But while others talked, we worked. While others complained, we governed. While others made excuses, we delivered. Together, we proved that good government is not an accident. It is a choice,” stated Pappas during his acceptance speech.
At only 35 years of age, Pappas is one of the youngest mayors in KwaZulu-Natal. He is often credited as a responsive public representative who often identifies with daily struggles of the ordinary people. He won the hearts of the electorates ahead of the 2021 elections with his eloquence in IsiZulu. It was his charisma and the understanding of the local community dynamics that saw the DA narrowly winning uMngeni by a mere 42 votes.
With only three months remaining until the November municipal polls, Pappas explained he had delivered on the promises he had made when he took over the reins.
“When we asked for your support in 2021, we made you a promise. We said that change would not simply be spoken about. Change would be visible. Change would be tangible. And because of the work we have done, uMngeni was selected by the President as one of only four municipalities in South Africa to pilot a brand-new infrastructure support and development initiative. The same President Ramaphosa said that DA-run municipalities are the best run municipalities. That is recognition earned through delivery,” he said.
He also pointed out that among his other achievements as the political head of the council include stabilising the municipal finances and returning the municipality to a balanced budget. This includes eliminating an R11m municipal loan which had been hovering on the head of the previous administration and improving on service delivery commitments such as electricity provision, water and refuse collection. And completing key stalled infrastructure projects.The municipality has an operating budget of just over R714m.
KwaZulu-Natal, the second in terms of population after Gauteng with at least over 12 million residents, is closely watched ahead of the November polls. The province also accounts for the second biggest contribution to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) making up about 16% of SA's economic output. It is expected to be the battleground for political parties vying for majority in several strategic councils. These include eThekwini, the only metro in the province, Newcastle local municipality, Msunduzi, KwaDukuza and the City of UMhlathuze anchored in Richards Bay, north coast of the province.
In total, KZN is home to 54 municipalities.