eThekwini Municipality officially unveiled the second edition of eThekwini Gospel Music Crescendos Choir.

The event seeks to develop local music talent with 22 young members selected from across the country after a rigorous talent search and audition process.

“The initiative provided aspiring gospel artists with an opportunity to showcase their talent while creating pathways towards sustainable careers in the creative industry,” said the municipality in a statement.

The second launch comes after the eThekwini Municipality Music Crescendos Choir was first unveiled in 2024, with 27 young finalists making up the choir.

The choir took to the stage on Sunday at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, marked by a music performance debut to a full capacity crowd.

Municipality’s Director of Recreation and Parks, Simphiwe Ndlovu, said that the Music Crescendos programme was established to empower talented young musicians through professional coaching,  membership, and performance opportunities.

He said

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The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has tightened its hold on Ward 11 in Malmesbury Wesbank, Swartland Municipality, securing a decisive victory in the final currently scheduled Western Cape by-election before the upcoming local government elections.

The party won 53.26% of the vote in Wednesday’s contest, increasing its support from the previous by-election and comfortably retaining a ward it had captured last year.

The DA finished second on 42%, while the ANC slipped to 4%. The TRUTH party received less than 1% of the vote.

Voter turnout rose to 58.15%, a significant increase from the 48% recorded in the previous by-election and a figure that almost matched turnout levels seen during the 2024 national and provincial elections.

The by-election followed the vacancy created by the departure of the previous PA ward councillor, Dihno White, while Moos Jaanse, who previously contested the ward as an independent, stood under the DA

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The Johannesburg High Court has dismissed an urgent court bid by the owner of Marble Towers to prevent the City of Joburg from acting against allegedly illegal structures erected at the CBD property.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Judge Leicester Adams dismissed an application brought by Goldenrod Group (Pty) Ltd after finding that several container structures on the Rahima Moosa Street property were built without approved plans and did not comply with building regulations.

Goldenrod Group had sought an interim interdict preventing the city and its officials from demolishing, removing, dismantling or interfering with the structures at Marble Towers.

ALSO READ: DA tells opposition to reject eThekwini budget as tariff fight heads to council vote

But the court also ruled that the city could not demolish the structures without first obtaining the necessary authorisation.

The court found that no building plans had ever been submitted or

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Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has confirmed an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak after several pigs were found dead in the Grogro informal settlement near Sherwood in Gqeberha.

Earlier this week, the municipality told residents that the detection of the disease posed no risk to human health, emphasising that African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs.

The municipality’s Director for Environmental Health, Dr Patrick Nodwele, along with municipal health officials, were alerted to the pig deaths. Upon arriving on site, they initially suspected poisoning.

“However, after engaging the State Veterinary Services and conducting the necessary tests, the final confirmed diagnosis was African Swine Fever,” Nodwele said.

African Swine Fever has become a recurring animal-health problem in South Africa’s pig sector, including in the Eastern Cape.

The national Department of Agriculture’s latest April update recorded 58 ASF outbreaks in the

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uMngeni-uThukela Water – the bulk water supplier to eThekwini Municipality — has denied that sabotage linked to the so-called water tanker mafia caused the Nagle Dam valve failure, which left thousands of residents in over 60 suburbs and townships without water for almost three days.  

The valve failure resulted in a reduction of 150 megalitres of water per day that is usually supplied to the metro for treatment at the Durban Heights Water Works.

ALSO READ: SAPS, SANDF unpack joint crackdown on organised crime

Responding to claims of sabotage, uMngeni-uThukela Water spokesperson Siyabonga Maphumulo said the board had no official information suggesting foul play.

“As uMngeni-uThukela Water, we are not aware of any sabotage claims. What we are aware of is that the valve broke during a routine maintenance operation,” Maphumulo said.

He did not specify whether the damage was caused by uMngeni-uThukela Water staff or

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The ANC in Sedibeng has sharply condemned opposition parties for walking out of an Emfuleni Local Municipality council sitting on Thursday, following the EFF’s welcome of the move that resulted in the municipality failing for a second time to pass its adjustment budget.

The political standoff has deepened tensions in the struggling Vaal municipality, with the ANC accusing opposition parties of sabotaging governance and the EFF arguing the rejected budget was unlawful and would have worsened the municipality’s financial crisis.

ALSO READ: ANC seeks stability in Gauteng, DA talks on the cards

In a statement on Saturday, ANC Sedibeng Regional Secretary Jason Mkhwane said the Democratic Alliance (DA), EFF and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) deliberately refused to participate in the council sitting where the adjustment budget was due to be considered.

“The African National Congress in Sedibeng condemns the refusal by the DA, EFF and FF+

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The eThekwini Municipality says it will conduct building audits across all municipal facilities to assess and improve accessibility, pledging upgrades that allow people with disabilities to access services “with dignity and ease”.

The municipality made the commitment during a session at the Amanzimtoti Civic Centre over the weekend, held as part of city-wide public consultations on its draft annual report 2024/25.

ALSO READ: Pappas offers rebates to uMngeni farmers hit by FMD

Engaging with the disability sector, the municipality said it remained focused on service delivery that “meaningfully responds” to the needs of residents living with disabilities.

It presented an overview of the sector’s achievements over the past year and identified areas for improvement.

“Concerns raised included infrastructure accessibility, employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and the need for enhanced communication equipment,” the municipality said.

It said the annual report will set out performance and guide

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The Mossel Bay Municipality has officially unveiled its R112 million Hartenbos Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and hybrid micro-grid system, a first-of-its-kind municipal energy resilience project in the Garden Route, designed to safeguard critical infrastructure against power disruptions and loadshedding up to Stage 6.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, municipal manager Colin Puren hailed the project as a cornerstone in Mossel Bay’s long-term vision for resilience and sustainability.

“As a municipal manager, I am proud to say that we are one step closer to making our city and our town sustainable,” Puren said.

Mossel Bay mayor Dirk Kotze highlighted the strategic foresight behind the investment, citing the volatility of Eskom’s power supply and rising electricity prices as key motivations.

“We all know the history of Eskom and energy prices in South Africa. The Mossel Bay council decided to start investing in energy sustainability.

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The eThekwini Municipality said on Monday that the 2025/26 cruise season is expected to contribute nearly R1.88 billion to Durban’s economy through direct, indirect, and induced impacts.

This would be driven by spending from an estimated 255,000 visitors arriving between November 2025 and June 2026.

Cruise visitors will contribute directly around R762 million to the local economy, but the multiplier effect is expected to increase the amount to about R1.12 billion.

“Overall, the combined direct, indirect, and induced contributions to Durban’s GDP are estimated at nearly R1.88 billion,” said the city.

The projections are largely based on passenger and crew spending while ashore, which is expected to sustain roughly 3 401 jobs and yield more than R140.5 million in tax revenue for the metro.

The season will start in late November and end in June 2026. It will open with the arrival of flagship vessels MSC Opera

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The eThekwini Municipality said this week that the city is expecting about 1.3 million visitors over the upcoming summer holiday period, and quelled fears about water quality at several of its popular beaches.

The municipality’s tourism agency, Durban Tourism, launched a national roadshow to showcase Durban’s beaches and cultural and holiday attractions.

The campaign kicked off in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces with “vibrant activations” at Middleburg, Nelspruit’s Riverside Mall, and Polokwane’s Mall of the North.

But the drive comes amid ongoing concerns about the municipality’s long-standing sewage-management crisis, which has seen recurring sewage spills, elevated E. coli levels and intermittent beach closures along the coastline.

Earlier this week, the city issued a statement about a website that falsely claimed the majority of Durban beaches had been “red-flagged” because of dangerous levels of E. coli and high incidents of crime.

The municipality said the allegations were “false,

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