The eThekwini Municipality recently on the esteemed title of Best Metropolitan Municipality in housing delivery at the Goven Mbeki Awards.

The annual award ceremony, which was hosted by the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week, has been recognising municipalities that excel in the provision of decent human settlements by municipalities and contractors across the country for almost a decade.

The awards were named in 2006 after the late struggle stalwart Govan Mbeki as a tool to recognise the role he played in the course of building social-cohesion, non-racialism and a nation free of inequality.

Mayor Councillor James Nxumalo said receiving the award was an honour, and one that the City deserved as it had been following Batho Pele and Back to Basics principles and putting people first.

“Since the advent of democracy the City has delivered more than 180 000 housing opportunities. We have built 2,250 Family Units in Community Residential Units. We converted six hostels into family units,” he said.

The Mayor said the City had facilitated 2,700 rental units through social housing institutions, and 2,106 affordable housing units (Gap housing) for those earning between R3 500 and R15 000 per month.”

He added that the City would continue to strive for excellence and bring change and betterment into the lives of its citizens.