Pietermaritzburgâs sad state of decay
By Bongani Hans
Bongani Hans
Durban â THE MSUNDUZI Municipality has admitted it had spent less on infrastructure maintenance, which has led to the decay of the Pietermaritzburg central business district (CBD), driving South African-owned businesses out of the city.
This as business owners and ratepayers raised concerns about the state the city is in and placed the blame on the Msunduzi Municipality council for neglecting its oversight role.
DA councillor Bill Lambert, who once ran a clothing shop in the CBD, said this was an embodiment of the Cityâs service delivery collapse.
He said things were fine under the first post-democracy mayor, Omar Latif, as well as his predecessors Siphiwe Gwala and Hloni Zondi, but the rot started under Zanele Hlatshwayo, who was sacked following allegations of gross mismanagement, maladministration and corruption.