Members of the Msukaligwa Local Municipal Council pictured together. Photo: Msukaligwa Local Municipality.
With the 2026 Local Government Elections approaching, Msukaligwa Local Municipality's Executive Mayor, Cllr Mapulane Nkosi, has reflected on the outgoing Council's five-year term, highlighting infrastructure improvements while acknowledging ongoing service delivery challenges.
The Mayor delivered the address during the municipality's last Ordinary Council Meeting before the end of its term, held on Thursday, 8 October 2026, ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for 4 November.
During the address, Nkosi outlined the municipality's work over the past five years, pointing to improvements in roads, stormwater infrastructure, water and sanitation services, public lighting and community facilities.
She acknowledged that the Council had operated under difficult circumstances, including financial constraints, increasing service delivery demands, infrastructure challenges and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While maintaining that the municipality had made progress, Nkosi conceded that several challenges remain unresolved, particularly regarding access to reliable municipal services in certain communities.
“We know that there are still challenges in our municipality. We know that there are communities that expect more, and rightly so,” she said.
The Mayor highlighted ongoing infrastructure developments aimed at improving water supply, sanitation and public facilities, while also referring to road improvements, public lighting and efforts to address recurring issues such as sewage spillages and illegal dumping.
With a new Municipal Council to be elected in November, Nkosi stressed the importance of ensuring that projects already underway are not interrupted by changes in political leadership.
“The change of political leadership must not become a disruption of service delivery,” she emphasised.
She appealed to incoming councillors and municipal leadership to maintain existing programmes, address shortcomings and prioritise the completion of unfinished infrastructure projects.
Nkosi further acknowledged that political disagreements had occurred throughout the Council's term but emphasised that these should not interfere with municipal operations or service delivery.
She thanked councillors, the municipal administration and Speaker of Council, Cllr Ntombifuthi Sarah Xaba, for their contributions over the past five years.
As Msukaligwa prepares for the 4 November elections, the outgoing Council leaves behind both completed infrastructure improvements and ongoing projects, with responsibility for addressing outstanding service delivery challenges set to carry into the next municipal term.