On February 6, 2025, Eastern Cape MEC for Public Works, Infrastructure, and Human Settlements (DPWIHS), Siphokazi Lusithi, convened the first MEC-MMC Implementation Forum meeting of the 7th term of Administration in Nqanqarhu, focusing on the Joe Gqabi District Municipality. The forum, comprising Members of the Executive Committee and Members of the Mayoral Committee, seeks to align the vision and priorities of the recently merged departments and foster synergies with local government.
Representatives from Senqu Local Municipality, Walter Sisulu Local Municipality, and Joe Gqabi District Municipality attended the meeting, presenting their respective initiatives. Elundini Local Municipality was notably absent.
MEC Lusithi emphasized the forum’s purpose: “This forum is an implementing forum that seeks to unlock some of the bottlenecks within the delivery of human settlement projects and infrastructural projects within our municipalities. The collaboration between provincial government and local municipality is crucial in the delivery of the mandate of both departments.”
She further highlighted the importance of the meeting in preparing for upcoming governmental milestones:
Today we come to share some of those plans heading to the 7th Administration in preparing the State of the Province Address and policy speech for the 2025/26 financial year and Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF).
The MEC underscored the significance of sharing reflections and statuses to assess departmental performance across regions. However, inclement weather posed challenges, with heavy rains throughout the week delaying the planned handover of 200 units from the Mbidlana 300 rural housing project, initially scheduled for February 7, 2025.
