Actively Working for Change
The dynamic District Mayor, Cllr Thembeka Mchunu, is also the First Lady of KZN and is married to the Premier of KZN, Mr Senzo Mchunu.
Mayor Mchunu is blessed with four children and is a go-getter with over 18 years of experience as a Councillor. Having been elected as the first female Mayor of uThungulu District Municipality she has been a councilor since 1995 and served on the Transitional Local Council of Empangeni. In 2000 she joined uThungulu District as a part time Councilor and in 2006 she began serving as an Exco Member.
The provision of water, sanitation, electricity and housing are issues that are close to her heart as well as taking care of the social needs of the people. Local economic development is also critical to her development agenda, and she has initiated several poverty alleviation projects in the district, such as the Wonder Pot energy cooking bags and the Biogas Project, both of which aim to address the energy challenges in rural areas.
The Mayoral flagship project is the District Fresh Produce Market, which was officially launched by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma on 06 May 2014. The market is the development vehicle that Mayor Mchunu believes will change the economic landscape of the small farming communities.
The former Deputy Principal of Ekhandleleni JS School in eSikhawini, she proves that women can hold their own in both politics and education.
She also taught at Maqwabe Combined School and Khombindlela High School. She was a Board Member at Ngwelezana Hospital. She is currently the Chairperson of Isiqalo Foundation, a poverty alleviation organisation based in the district. She also the Secretary of Sinalo Centre for children with physical disability and cerebral palsy.
Mayor Mchunu is the Chairperson of the uThungulu District Executive Committee, Finance Portfolio Committee and Budget Steering Committee and is active on all of the other portfolio committees. She is also the Chairperson for the Community Development Working Group at SALGA KZN.