EThekwini Municipality and Independent Media Group are partnering to drive positive change, enhance the quality of life, and improve service delivery for residents.

A DELEGATION from eThekwini Municipality, led by eThekwini City Manager Musa Mbhele, met with the Independent Media Group in a media stakeholder engagement at their Greyville offices on 12 February. The engagement aimed to strengthen working relationships and explore coverage opportunities. Joining Mbhele was the Communications Unit Deputy Head Gugu Sisilana, Communications Manager Mduduzi Ncalane, and other communicators. The objective of the meeting was to foster collaboration and better understand the newsroom’s priorities.

Ayanda Mdluli, Editor of the Daily News, highlighted the importance of collaboration. “We are committed to working with government, especially on issues like service delivery, crime, sanitation, and infrastructure, which directly affect our communities. We are open to partnerships but will not hesitate to hold the government accountable when necessary.” Philani Mazibuko, Editor of The Mercury, emphasised the role of media in driving local entrepreneurship and investment saying: “The media plays a vital role in fostering business growth and development initiatives. By partnering with government, we can bring positive change to the City and boost the township economy.” 

Zoubair Ayoob, Head of Post Newspaper, addressed the importance of covering issues that affect readers when he spoke about what drives the newsroom agenda. “We can’t remain silent on issues like water outages or sanitation failures. It’s our duty to highlight these challenges,” he said. In his address, Mbhele acknowledged the improvements in reporting since the previous engagement in October last year. He urged journalists to ensure factual accuracy and to avoid misleading headlines. He also explained the reasons behind ongoing water issues and the interventions in place. Mbhele suggested that future engagements be held quarterly due to the positive outcomes from the meeting. The Independent Media team presented Mbhele with an embroidered gift as a token of appreciation for his commitment to work hand in hand with the media group.