Today the Political and Administrative leadership of GKM led by Hon Mayor Cllr NW Tekile and Mr LN Mambila are gathered at Olivewood in Chintsa for the start of a 3 day strategic planning workshop.

The Session which was jointly chaired by Hon Chief Cllr Z Nzuzo and Mr Naku from Cogta was duly opened in prayer by Ms Sonjica.

Opening remarks from Hon Mayor:

“It is my distinct honour and privilege to welcome you to the Great Kei Municipality Strategic Planning Session convened here today until Wednesday the 25th. Your presence here affirms our shared commitment to building a capable, developmental and responsive municipality that places the needs of our people at the centre of governance.

This particular strategic planning session carries historic significance. It is not only our annual platform for reflection and forward planning, but also the final Strategic Planning Session of this current Council term as we prepare for the forthcoming Local Government Elections later this year. This reality places a greater responsibility upon all of us to reflect honestly on our performance, to plan with clarity and to conclude this Council term with a measurable legacy of service delivery, stability and ethical governance.

In reflecting on our institutional journey, allow me to extend heartfelt congratulations to Council, Management and the entire workforce of Great Kei Municipality for attaining a Clean Audit for the 2024/2025 financial year. This achievement confirms that ethical leadership, sound financial management and accountability remain the cornerstone of this institution. The maintenance of zero unauthorised and irregular expenditure further demonstrates our collective commitment to clean governance and responsible stewardship of public resources. Equally commendable is the steady improvement in revenue collection, which remains the lifeblood of sustainable service delivery and municipal viability.

These achievements are further affirmed by our institutional performance trajectory. The overall institutional performance for the 2024/2025 financial year is sitting at an impressive 90%, reflecting a municipality that is focused, accountable and delivery-oriented. Furthermore, the Mid-Term Performance for the 2025/2026 financial year currently stands at 84%, indicating sustained progress and organisational stability as we move towards the end of this Council term. These performance indicators demonstrate that Great Kei Municipality continues to move in the right direction and that our planning and implementation efforts are yielding measurable results for our communities.

As we convene this final Strategic Planning Session of the current Council term in a year of Local Government Elections, we draw clear guidance from the President of South Africa who calls for renewal, unity and decisive action in building a capable, ethical and developmental state. The Statement places local government at the forefront of driving socio-economic transformation and improving the lived realities of our people. It calls upon municipalities to intensify infrastructure delivery, strengthen financial sustainability, accelerate job creation, empower youth and women, and ensure clean, accountable and responsive governance.

Our planning is equally informed by the priorities outlined in the State of the Nation Address, which emphasise infrastructure development, local economic growth, job creation, professionalisation of the public service and the strengthening of local government as the sphere closest to the people. At a provincial level, we align ourselves with the Eastern Cape Government’s focus on infrastructure development, rural development, economic growth, youth empowerment and strengthened governance. It is therefore imperative that our strategic planning remains aligned with national and provincial priorities while responding directly to local realities.

In this regard, we must emphasise the importance of strong Intergovernmental Relations and stakeholder alignment. The challenges confronting local government cannot be resolved by municipalities acting in isolation. They require coordinated planning, integrated budgeting and collaborative implementation across all spheres of government and state entities. It is for this reason that we have invited key stakeholders, including SANRAL, sector departments and development partners, to be part of this strategic session in line with the District Development Model principle of “One District, One Plan.” Our planning must therefore be collaborative, aligned and implementation-driven.

Despite prevailing socio-economic challenges, Great Kei Municipality has recorded notable progress during the 2025/2026 period. We proudly acknowledge the unlocking of previously blocked housing projects, with the Department of Human Settlements having now appointed a contractor for the Kei Mouth and ChintsaEast Housing Projects comprising 245 housing units. This milestone restores hope and dignity to many of our residents. Furthermore, out of the ten stages of township establishment for Kei Mouth and Qumrha, we are currently finalising Stage 8, bringing us closer to unlocking serviced land for development and human settlements expansion.

In terms of infrastructure development, the municipality continues to make commendable progress in improving service delivery. We successfully completed key MDRG-funded projects, including the Khwenxurha/NgxingxoloAccess Road, Kei Mouth Internal Streets, Haga-HagaInternal Streets, Zone 10 Internal Streets and MorgansBay Internal Streets. These projects have significantly improved accessibility and mobility across our communities.

We also completed key MIG-funded projects for the 2025/2026 financial year, namely the construction of Sithungu Internal Streets, the completion of DiphiniCommunity Hall and the completion of Zone 10 Community Hall. These projects are not merely infrastructure investments; they are symbols of dignity, access and community development. Together with the electrification of 200 houses in Zone 10, they demonstrate our commitment to improving the quality of life of our residents and accelerating service delivery despite limited resources.

To further strengthen our service delivery capacity, the municipality has procured essential fleet, including a tipper truck, three bakkies, a polo vehicle and a smooth roller. These assets will enhance operational efficiency and improve response times to community service delivery needs.

Our Back-to-School Campaign remains one of the most meaningful social interventions of this municipality. With the support of Inzalo, we distributed 252 pairs of school shoes to deserving learners across several schools. This initiative gives practical meaning to the Freedom Charter’s declaration that “The doors of learning and culture shall be opened.” We also extend our appreciation to our development partners, including Standard Bank, MTN and the Chaba Winds of Change Community Trust, for their continued support of community upliftment initiatives.

As a coastal municipality, Great Kei must strategically position itself to unlock the immense potential of the oceans economy. Our coastline presents opportunities in tourism development, small harbour activities, fishing, marine services and related economic initiatives. This strategic session must therefore deliberately identify programmes that will harness these opportunities and stimulate inclusive economic growth and job creation.

While we celebrate our progress, we must also confront our challenges with honesty and resolve. These include persistent electrical cable theft, limited availability of serviced land for development, increasing infrastructure demands and mounting socio-economic pressures on our communities. These challenges require decisive leadership, integrated planning and strengthened partnerships across all sectors.

As we enter into detailed deliberations over the next three days, our discussions must focus on key strategic priorities: strengthening basic service delivery and infrastructure maintenance; ensuring financial sustainability and revenue enhancement; accelerating local economic development and job creation; advancing human settlements and spatial development; empowering youth, women and vulnerable groups; promoting the oceans economy; strengthening institutional stability and good governance; and deepening public participation and stakeholder partnerships. Above all, we must sustain clean governance and protect the audit outcomes we have achieved.

As the renowned management thinker Peter Drucker reminds us, “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” This session must therefore produce implementable, funded and measurable programmes that will translate into tangible service delivery for our communities. We must ask ourselves critical questions about the legacy we intend to leave as this Council, the sustainability of our municipality and the effectiveness of our interventions in responding to community needs.

As we move closer to the Local Government Elections, we carry the responsibility of ensuring a seamless institutional transition and leaving behind a municipality that is stable, functional, financially sound and development-oriented. We must consolidate the gains achieved and ensure continuity of service delivery for the benefit of our communities.

In closing, I encourage all participants to engage openly, robustly and constructively throughout this strategic planning session. Let us plan with honesty, lead with integrity and serve with dedication. Let us emerge from this session with a clear, practical and implementable roadmap that will take Great Kei Municipality forward.

With these words, I welcome you all and hereby officially declare the Great Kei Municipality Strategic Planning Session for 23–25 February 2026 duly opened.”