Concerns over number of KZN councillors who can’t read and write

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The Public Service Association (PSA) has called on municipalities to ensure councillors are equipped to perform their duties.

This after a skills audit report by the Department of Cooperative Governance found that almost 300 KwaZulu-Natal councillors are illiterate.

KwaZulu-Natal PSA Chair, Mlungisi Ndlovu says, “When they conducted orientation, it was very clear that 298 councillors are unable to read and write and comprehend critical documents so that they can be able to perform their functions. It raises questions to say, ‘have we decided to forget about the skills development in the country?’ What needs to be done is when they deploy these councillors, they should be able to meet these particular requirements,” says Ndlovu.