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Deputy President Paul Mashatile has commended significant progress made by the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG).

This follows a meeting he had with the PeWG on Friday, 23 October 2026, at the eThekwini City Hall  in KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The establishment of the PeWG in April 2024 was a result of engagements between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry to address pressing challenges such as water supply interruptions, ageing infrastructure, declining tourism, crime, and port inefficiencies in the Metro.

Today's meeting provided an update on the progress, challenges, and proposed interventions for phase two of the PeWG.

The Deputy President was pleased to note that since its establishment, the PeWG had continued to  record significant developments in service delivery, business confidence, addressing infrastructure and socio-economic challenges.

The Deputy President expressed appreciation of the implementation progress across priority projects where delivery is advancing, where there are delays, and where escalation or strategic intervention is required.

In its deliberations, the PeWG also noted the ongoing safety concerns that have plagued the PINK areas (Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma, Kwa- Mashu). While welcoming the intervention by the President of deploying the South African Defense Force to respond to the recent unrest in the province, the PeWG called for a similar intervention in the PINK areas.

Deputy President Mashatile emphasised that a safe, vibrant and well-managed, clean and hospitable city centre would send a strong message that eThekwini is open for business and committed to inclusive growth that would benefit all its residents.

In his closing remarks the Deputy President affirmed the work of the PeWG and urged that it “…build on this momentum, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate implementation so that the Presidential eThekwini Working Group leaves a legacy of investment, growth, job creation, and improved quality of life for the people of eThekwini and the province at large.”

The work done by the PeWG complements the efforts that the Deputy President leads in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery.

Issued by Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President Keith Khoza