CHANGE IS NOT A PROMISE : IT’S HAPPENING
 
There was a time when the name O.R. Tambo District Municipality was spoken with frustration, a symbol of financial struggle, broken systems, and fading trust.
But today, we can look our people in the eye and say: that chapter is over.
Change is no longer a promise.
It’s happening.
At the Annual Strategic Leadership Engagement hosted by the Premier of the Eastern Cape, where leaders across government gathered to reflect and plan for our province, O.R. Tambo District Municipality was honoured as the Most Improved Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
This is not a token.
It’s proof, proof that our work is restoring stability, rebuilding trust, and changing lives.
For years, we were a municipality under distress.
But through discipline, accountability, and teamwork across every level, we have moved into the second phase of our Financial Recovery Plan, a milestone few have reached.
Our budget is fully funded.
 
We have achieved two consecutive unqualified audit outcomes, a first in our history.
Our governance systems are stable.
Our finances are credible.
And our focus is clear: service to our people.
These are not just technical milestones, they are turning points for every community that depends on us for water, sanitation and opportunity.
Because when governance improves, delivery improves.
When finances are managed with integrity, projects don’t stall, they succeed.
When accountability returns, trust is rebuilt.
 
As our Executive Mayor, Cllr. Mesuli Ngqondwana, said:
> “Because of the state the municipality had been in for years, we once felt unworthy of being associated with the name of the Giant, Oliver Reginald Tambo. But this year, we dare say that we now stand in a place where we can proudly carry that name , with dignity and honour.”
To the people of O.R. Tambo, your faith in us was not in vain.
This award reflects your patience, your resilience, and your partnership in this turnaround journey.
We have turned the corner.
We are not going back.
Because our best work is still ahead.
O.R. Tambo District is rising, stronger, cleaner, and more accountable than ever before.
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