Community

Departmental Overview

The Community Services Department aims to achieve meaningful Service Delivery Objectives and Outcomes within the municipality.  The Department is responsible for the advancement and continuous improvement of the social-wellbeing and socio-economic status of the community.

Core Function(s)

The Community Services Department’s functions are aligned with National and Provincial priorities and is achieved through the following sections; Local Economic Development; Environmental Health; Tourism; Youth, Sport, and Recreation; Gender and Disability; Indonsa Arts and Craft and the Princess Mandisi Health Care Centre.

Functional Responsibilities

1. Local Economic Development
   • The Community Services Department is responsible for Local Economic Development (LED) and ensures that a conducive environment is created for robust and sustainable economic development and that the quality of life of local residents is improved through the provision of basic services, employment creation and poverty alleviation.
2. Environmental Health
   • The Department through the adoption of municipal by-laws will enable the District municipality to set minimum environmental health standards to prevent diseases, prolong life, protect and promote the long term health and well-being of people in the Municipal area
3. Tourism
   • Tourism is one of the key economic sectors in the Zululand District Municipality, the Community Service Department is responsible for the upliftment of the local people of the region and the development of tourism infrastructure
4. Youth, Sport and Recreation
   • Sports Development is one of the community’s activities that cut across racial, gender and culture. It promotes development, personal discipline, leadership, team work skills and entertainment through sporting activities.  It also contributes to the development and empowerment of local communities and encourages interest of learning and gaining more skills.
5. Gender and Disability
   • The Municipality ensures that widows, orphans and people living with disabilities are in the map and are fully recognized and involved in all social and economic development programmes and is responsible to provide them with a platform and a budget to cater for their projects and moreover, have their special celebration day known as widows, orphans and disability day.
6. Indonsa Arts and Culture Centres
   • Indonsa is one of the RDP Arts Centre situated in Ulundi and operating under full management of Zululand District Municipality. There is an MOU signed between Zululand District Municipality and KZN Department of Arts and Culture for the management and joint funding of the Centre. Indonsa was initiated in 2002 and focuses mainly on skills training in Visual Arts, Performing Arts (Drama), Fashion design and Music. There is also a fully fleshed recording studio which assists the upcoming artists. The Centre has recently acquired large format printers which enables it to render services in Printing business (Posters, banners, sign boards, flyers, stickers, ceramic & textile printing, flags, branding etc).

7. Princess Mandisi Health Care Centre
   • The Municipality’s Social Programmes Unit is housed at the municipal health centre known as Princess Mandisi Health Care Centre. This was the ZDM initiative of addressing the serious increase rate of HIV and AIDS in the District. Princess Mandisi Health Care Centre has the following intervention programmes:
     • Aids Councils
     • HIV and Aids Programmes
     • Care and Support Programmes
     • Love-life Programme
     • Orphans and Vulnerable Children