The King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Municipality, through the Office of the Speaker, convened a Petition Management Session on Monday, 29 June 2026, providing a platform for constructive engagement between the municipality and community representatives regarding matters of public concern.
The session brought together representatives of March & March, Phakama EC and ISANCO, who raised community concerns relating to the alleged presence of undocumented foreign nationals within the municipality, the enforcement of municipal by-laws, business compliance, illegal structures, public safety and governance issues.
Following constructive deliberations, several proposals were adopted for implementation through a coordinated and multi-sectoral approach. Among these is the establishment of a Task Team, to be led by the Office of the Executive Mayor, which will coordinate responses from relevant municipal departments, government institutions and law enforcement agencies. The Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Justice and other strategic stakeholders are expected to form part of the coordinated response.
The proposed interventions include reviewing concerns relating to business licensing processes, strengthening the enforcement of municipal by-laws, addressing allegations of corruption through the appropriate investigative authorities, coordinating programmes aimed at removing illegal containers and unlawful structures, and facilitating discussions on matters relating to immigration in line with the legislative mandate of the Department of Home Affairs.
The municipality emphasised that issues relating to immigration remain the responsibility of national government and that any interventions must be implemented lawfully, fairly and in accordance with the Constitution and applicable legislation. The municipality’s role is to facilitate coordination among relevant stakeholders and ensure that community concerns receive the necessary attention from the competent authorities.
Recognising the urgency of the matters raised, the proposed Task Team will also develop implementation timeframes and provide progress reports to the petitioners and Council structures. In addition, contingency measures were proposed to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable persons should public demonstrations occur.
KSD Speaker, Cllr N. Siyo-Sokutu said the municipality remains committed to listening to the concerns of residents while ensuring that all interventions are implemented within the framework of the Constitution and the law.
The municipality further encourages all residents to continue using established democratic platforms to engage government on issues affecting their communities.