News and Events
Clarifying our new identity: An overview of Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality by Executive Eayor Cllr Pinky Moloi
It's now official! With effect from 25 April 2008, the Southern District Municipality became Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality ushering in a completely new beginning for us.
This followed a Provincial Gazette No 6483 of the same date and the Official Notice 9 of 2008 duly amending the original notice which established the Southern District Municipality as DC 40 back in the year 2000. The amendment was ratified by the Honourable MEC for Developmental Local Government and Housing in the North West Province Mr HD Yawa having satisfied himself that we had complied with all the legal requirements relating to the name change process.
Our name change exercise is a journey which began back in ... when Council resolved to direct the Executive Mayor to establish a multiparty Section 80 committee to drive the process forward. The key responsibility of this committee chaired by former Councillor Zandi Moweli was to facilitate and co-ordinate a public participation process to solicit the views and proposals of the community on what the new name, logo and motto for the Southern District Municipality should be.
Looking in hindsight, I am proud of the excellent and detailed work done by all councilors who served on this committee. They showed a clear understanding of their role and responsibility as per Council decision. Through their efforts, we were able to hit the ground running, in the process reaching thousands of residents in a variety of platforms. These ranged from public hearings, ward meetings, meetings with school learners and an outreach to civil society and political organizations through the mass media.
In particular, the name change competition which we ran through local newspapers aroused the most enthusiasm among our residents, especially school learners whose creativity left us spellbound. Overall, the participation of our people in this process was satisfactory, they are actually took ownership of the process.
Following the conclusion of the consultative leg, a comprehensive report was submitted to Council on 01 October 2007. In the end, three names proved the most popular among the residents of our district. These names in order of their priority were the following:
- Dr Kenneth Kaunda
- Tshwaraganang
- Kopanang
At its ordinary sitting on ….. our municipal council decided, by majority vote, on the name Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality.
A month-long period of objections and/or comments was allowed from 7 August to 7 September 2007.
Having taken the necessary measures to exhaust internal processes, Council secured acceptance of the new name from both the Geographic Names Committee as well the Provincial Government.
In this article, I will not provide any motivation for the new name as the public participation process has taken care of that. However, it is worth posing and briefly responding to the critical question: Who is Dr. Kenneth Kaunda?
Kenneth Kaunda was born in the former Northern Rhodesia, later called Zambia. Like his parents, Dr. Kaunda is a former teacher who began his political career as the founder and secretary of the LUBWA branch of the African National Congress in 1950. he rose to the rank of general secretary of his party in Northern Rhodesia. With the adoption of a new constitution and the advent of Zambia's first black government in 1962, he held the portfolio of social welfare before rising to the position of prime minister in 1964. he occupied the higher post of President of Zambia until 1991 where he left public office.
In addition to his efforts in Zambia, Dr Kaunda was in the forefront of major efforts to liberate the whole of Africa, serving as President of the Pan African Freedom Movement. He offered refugee to countless liberation movements especially those from Southern Africa, including the African National Congress at great cost to his people.
A retired politician, this farther of African liberation currently serves on the eminent group of former heads of states – The Elders along with Nelson Mandela; Desmond Tutu, Sir Ketumile Masire and others – offering leadership and shearing their wisdom on a range of developmental challenges facing the African continent.
As a district, we are proud to be associated with a man of such greatness and virtue. There is no doubt that carrying the name of a person with such impeccable credentials will in itself help the re-branding of our district and pay dividends in marketing us within the investor community at home and abroad.
In the aftermath of the recent xenophobic attacks against African immigrants witnessed in the past few weeks across South Africa, our new name will go a long way in reviving the common bonds of Africans within our country and throughout the continent. We owe it to future generations to educate today's youth about the heroics of men and women of the caliber of Dr Kaunda.
KK as he is affectionately known – will inspire us to explore prosperity in the best interest of all our residents.
All of us must be proud to live in the new Dr Kenneth Kaunda District. I feel immensely humbled by the opportunity that history has bestowed on me as the inaugural executive mayor of Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Muncipality.
Soon, we shall embark on programme of festivities to launch the new name in style. We look forward to your participation in those festivities.
Together, let us continue championing sustainable quality service delivery for all.
God bless Africa.
God Bless Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality and its Residents.
I thank you.
Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda - Father of Peace, Ghandi of Africa
Kenneth David Kaunda (born 1924), first president of Zambia, was a leading figure in his country's independence movement. Until he stepped down in 1991, he maintained his critical position as the leader of a buffer country between white-ruled states in southern Africa and hostile, independent black-ruled states to the north.
Kenneth David Kaunda was born on April 28, 1924, at Lubwa Mission near Chinsali in Northern Rhodesia. His father was a minister and teacher who had left Nyasaland (now Malawi) in 1904, and his mother was the first African woman to teach in colonial Zambia.
After completing his education in the early 1940s, Kaunda began teaching at Lubwa in 1943 and was headmaster there as well from 1944 to 1947. Then he moved to the copper mining area, where he founded a farmers' cooperative, was a mine welfare officer (1948), and became a boarding master at Mufulira Upper School from 1948 to 1949.
Political Career
The urbanized copper area was a natural setting for African nationalism. Resenting the racial discrimination that prevailed in central Africa, Kaunda helped to found the African National Congress (ANC), the first major anticolonial organization in Northern Rhodesia. He was its secretary general from 1953 to 1958 under ANC president Harry Nkumbula.
Early on, Kaunda became committed to the nonviolent principles of India's Mohandas Gandhi, a position strengthened by his visit to India in 1957. He broke with Nkumbula and became president of the Zambia African National Union from 1958 through 1959. When civil disorder led to banning of this party, Kaunda was jailed for a period of nine months. On his release he became president of the new United National Independence party in 1960. On Oct. 30, 1962, he was elected to the Legislative Council. He formed a coalition government with Nkumbula's ANC and served as minister of local government and social welfare in 1962.
Zambia slowly moved through the complications of earning independence. Much of the success is attributed to the skillful diplomacy of Kenneth Kaunda, who succeeded in allaying the fears of the huge European and smaller Asian community that black leadership would ignore their interests. In October 1964, the new nation of Zambia was born, with Kaunda as its president.
Taking parliament to the people.
Executive Mayor Moloi welcomes the People's Parliament in Southern District "Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District"
Welcoming address by Executive Mayor of Southern District Municipality her worship Cllr Boitumelo Moloi on the occasion of the NCOP's ‘Taking Parliament to the People' held in the Govan Mbeki Stadium, Ikageng on 10 March 2008
Honourable Premier of NW Mme Edna Molewa
Honourable Chairperson of NCOP Ntate MJ MAHLANGU
Honourable MECs, MPs & MPLs
Executive Mayor of Tlokwe His Worship Cllr Maphetle Maphetle
Executive Mayors & Mayors here present
Speakers & Single Whips
Honourable Councillors
Senior Government Officials
Municipal Manager
Distinguished Guests
Baagi ba ba tlotlegang
Ladies and Gentlemen
I rise to extend a warm message of welcome to the honorable Members of Parliament from our National Council of Provinces as well as delegates representing the North West Province at this august house.
We in the Southern District Municipality are sincerely honored by the decision taken by the Honorable M.J Mahlangu and the leadership of the NCOP to bring Parliament to the People of the North West Province and more specifically the Southern District and the beautiful City of Tlokwe.
When the Great Batlokwa tribe first set their foot in this area many many years ago, little did they know that one day, a new settlement called Potchefstroom would arise following colonial occupation and conquest by Hendrik Potgieter and his fellow travelers in 1838.
Today, Tlokwe has developed into a heterogeneous city inhabited by people of diverse racial, tribal and cultural groups reflecting what one of the great sons and ambassadors of this District Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu famously defined as the ‘Rainbow Nation.'
I am therefore humbled by this rare possibility to convey to you friendly greetings and best regards on behalf of the nearly 1 million residents of this District, not least among them the local community of Tlokwe – the City of Expertise.
Ever since the NCOP began this programme in November 2004, many provinces and municipalities around the country have benefited immensely from the support and interventionist role that this eminent house of parliament has and continues to play in making sure that all of us execute the Constitutional mandate to serve and serve the popular masses of our people.
As before, we are confident that this roving parliamentary session will significantly enhance the effectiveness of provincial and local government as well as state institutions residing in our district such that they are better positioned to play their developmental role as determined by legislation.
In welcoming you Honorable Members, we at the same time express our gratitude to this distinguished House of Parliament for the constructive role it plays as an indispensable component of our system of intergovernmental relations in the country.
In so doing, let me borrow an extract from our President of the Republic His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki's keynote address delivered on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the NCOP in Cape Town on the 4th of May 2007, Quote:
“ …During the first decade of its existence the NCOP has helped to ensure that South Africans are able to look to the future with confidence because they know that since the dawn of democracy, their lives have been slowly but surely taking a turn for the better.
In essence, the existence of the NCOP means a better system of representing the interests of the people. This House is a particularly unique creation in our constitutional system of democracy since it is transversal in character, stretching across the three spheres of government.
It is at the cutting edge of intergovernmental relations and serves to entrench co-operative governance across the 3 spheres as mandated by the Constitution.
The NCOP is a vital bridge in the South African democracy, straddling and drawing together South African citizens on the one hand and the legislatures, the executive and the administrative organs of the state on the other. The NCOP has been successful in its first decade by entrenching the ethics of participatory democracy through ensuring that public representatives are rooted in the constituencies that have elected them.”
Making a specific reference to and commending the NCOP's ‘Taking Parliament to the People' programme, President Mbeki had this to say: “This programme has yielded positive results, enabling the masses of the people to interact with their government, raise issues of concern and suggest means and ways to address local challenges.”
Today, we in the Southern District of the North West Province are proud and delighted to be afforded the opportunity to play host to this the tenth sitting of Parliament outside its traditional venue in Cape Town.
Very few district municipalities in the country have so far had this opportunity in the current term of the NCOP and I would therefore like to express the joy and intimate pride that your touching ground here has on our people in this District.
Let me state in the most unequivocal way that your visit today is both a great honour and an advantage to us as a District.
So rest assured Honorable Members that as your proud host, the Southern District Municipality, the City Council of Tlokwe and the 4 other Category B Municipalities comprising this particular District will do everything and everything in our power to make your work run smooth and your stay here in the next five days a pleasant and an enjoyable experience of your life.
I have no doubt whatsoever that following this important People's Parliament, we shall all emerge stronger and better equipped and inspired to tackle the daunting yet insurmountable challenges that this period of Business Unusual presents us as servants and combatants in the construction of a better caring society.
The Southern District Municipality therefore wishes the NCOP success in all its endeavors.
Honorable Members, despite your tight schedule during this week, I trust you shall find time to explore the beauty and unique hospitality of our area and its friendly people.
Once more, on behalf of all our residents and on my own behalf - a hearty and warm welcome to you.
Ka segarona re re : Lo Amogetswe Bagaetsho! Siya ni Amukela! Welkom by onse Streek!
I thank you!!
Water shortage in Maquassi Hills pose serious challenge for bucket eradication national target.
Media Alert
Theme: Save Maquassi Water Awareness Campaign
Southern District, Wolmaranstad, the community of Maquassi Hills in the Southern District municipality will be engaged by the Municipality council on interim solutions to collectively address the water problem that has emerged since 2001, and worsened late last year when residents taps ran dry. The Southern district in response to this challenge allocated additional funds to the existing water loss management project and infrastructure upgrading that includes building of a reservoir in Leeudoringstad.
The Southern District Executive Mayor, Boitumelo Moloi has then set aside money to embark on an awareness campaign to assist the local municipality of maquassie Hills inform and engage the community on the challenges faced by the municipality in addressing this country wide water scarcity challenge.
The community of wolmaranstad have in the past year made head lines in rioting against the municipality claiming poor service delivery from the Municipality. The mayor of the area, cllr. Karel Lehloo, “says the community should not confuse platforms of addressing poor service delivery with a platform to collectively address basic human rights needs like water, that the water problem in Maquassi should be addressed in its pertinence, as a natural resource, before it even comes to its management”.
The current situation is that Maquassi Hills consumption is way over normal limit or allocation and reservoir filling capacity. This does not only affect business, it also affects households. There are at least 1600 registered indigents. The biggest problem is to service Tswelelang Township, bulk supply system currently operating at the maximum capacity – as water comes into reservoir it goes out to consumers, steel tank can therefore not be filled and sufficient pressure is not available to provide water to Extension 4,10 and 13, resulting to water cut for periods to give reservoir time to partially fill.
The municipality has since as an interim solution deployed tanks in the said areas, leaving the greatest challenge of not being unable to flash the toilets.
The campaign on saving water and equitably sharing available water, although not unique to Maquassi Hills, will run as follows:
Date |
Venue |
Time |
Audience |
27th Feb |
Makwassie |
13h30 |
General community |
28th Feb |
Witpoort |
13h30 |
General community |
28th Feb |
leeudoringstad |
15h30 |
General community |
29th Feb |
Wolmaranstad town hall |
17h00 |
Business, NGO,CBO, Sector Departments, associations etc |
1st March |
Wolmaranstad |
11h00 |
General Community |
The purpose of the campaign
Educate communities on water saving and national acceptable limit for household consumption.
Clarifying water authority v/s municipal role in the final provision of water
Communicating government programs in equitable sharing of basic services like water and sanitation, free basic services, meaning of indigent register, bi-laws on water restriction and saving.
Educating on water provision processes
Among other contributions during the campaign are presentations by is DWAF, Sedibeng as Water provider in Maquassi Hills, MOEDI on the water Loss Management and restriction installations.
Invited are: Local communities, farmers, agricultural unions, NGO's, CBO, faith based organisations, private sector, parastatals and government departments.
Issued by communication department of the Southern District
Contact : Wendy Sokupha
084 484 4968
wsokupha@sdm.org.za
Tel: 018 473 8063
