The municipality of eThekwini has constructed the Sinawe Wellness Centre in Morningside. The project aims to invest in the well-being of municipal civil servants, with the official opening of the state-of-the-art facility held last Friday. The initiative has received mixed reactions from the city’s ratepayers. Located on Montpelier Road, opposite Mitchell Park Zoo, the Wellness Centre “is designed to empower employees to thrive, grow, and deliver outstanding results in their respective roles.” Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana stated that the centre is intended to strengthen the well-being, resilience, and productivity of eThekwini employees. Attending the opening, Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala, chairperson of the Governance and Human Resources Committee, described the launch as a transformative milestone in building a healthier, high-performance workforce.
He said, “This initiative recognises that our employees are our greatest asset and that their physical, emotional and psychological well-being is fundamental to service delivery excellence.” The SINAWE Wellness Centre offers a comprehensive suite of emotional, psychological and general wellness services tailored to promote holistic well-being and strengthen resilience among employees. The Director of the Human Resources Directorate, Sihle Mkhize, called the move a huge milestone for the City, praising eThekwini for prioritising employee wellness. “By prioritising employee well-being, we are not only changing lives but also strengthening our ability to serve communities with excellence,” said Mkhize. “A healthy workforce directly translates into improved productivity and enhanced service delivery to communities. When we invest in the wellness of our staff, we strengthen the very foundation upon which the municipality serves residents with dignity, efficiency and compassion.”
It is commendable for a municipality to look after the mental and emotional well-being of its employees; however, this must not be done at the expense of rate-paying citizens. The primary responsibility lies with the households of the city and wards in the local area. This has not been the case regarding the overall condition of the eThekwini region. The Wellness Centre on Montpelier Road is indeed an impressive development, but its creation comes at the risk of neglecting the municipality’s more pressing duties, such as providing basic services to communities and addressing issues like derelict roads and broken sewage systems. The Municipal Council, Councillor Madlala, and Mayor Cyril Xaba would do well to put their “healthy workforce” into action and move eThekwini and the Durban Metro toward a better future.
Another pressing matter that has inspired public criticism of eThekwini’s municipal leadership is the erection of two 10-metre-tall bronze statues of the late former South African President Nelson Mandela and the late ANC leader and struggle veteran Oliver Reginald Tambo, at a cost of over R22 million.
North-West University governance expert Professor André Duvenhage said they know municipalities are falling apart and that the metros are facing particular major challenges. “Against that backdrop, to pay R22 million for erecting statues is completely unacceptable. At this point in time, it’s a question of doing the basic things right, delivering services to the people,” Duvenhage said. He said the ANC typically responds to dwindling support with rhetoric and symbolism. This appears to be a renewed effort to mobilise support ahead of the 2026 election. “Well, there’s no doubt that the R22 million is in conflict with all the principles of good governance; responsible government and accountable government are part of that. If you cannot deliver your basic services, how can you fund R22 million on statues? Especially in an environment where the municipality is facing complete collapse.”
He said having the Presidential Working Group looking into eThekwini matters is worsening the situation. It is failing to hold the municipality accountable and is, in fact, part of the problem. Duvenhage said water, sanitation, roads, and other forms of service delivery should be prioritised.
The eThekwini Municipality is facing local elections this year on November 2. How the African National Congress (ANC)-led municipal council tackles the city’s problems will determine whether it remains the majority party. But it may be too little, too late. Ratepayers have grown increasingly disgruntled, and the erection of two statues in the city to bolster the governing party’s image has not improved the situation. Residents should have been consulted about the project and whether it was relevant at this time. Amid the poverty and neglect the city has endured, the initiative should have been postponed. Spending R22 million on two ten-metre bronze statues could have been better directed elsewhere. Even the struggle icons whom the statues represent—Mandela and Tambo—would likely agree. Now the damage has been done.
Will the eThekwini region see a change in municipal leadership? That is up to the voters to decide. Yet it seems the ANC is far behind in learning that lesson. Building a Wellness Centre for municipal civil servants is commendable, but erecting monuments to political glory may not serve the best interests of all. This could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the ANC’s thirty-two-year reign in eThekwini and the Durban Metro.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
