Residents want government to fix existing infrastructure

GEDLEMBANE -In February they embarked on a protest to vent their frustration regarding the state of the town’s roads. They claimed at the time that pothole-riddled roads were the main cause of accidents and during the rainy season, these were inaccessible because it became slippery and muddy.

The community felt that the government should have repaired them before focusing on new developments. Another crucial problem citizens faced was the street lights which weren’t working
as this caused an increase in crime. A community member, Gugu Lebyane said, “A majority of community members commutes from this area to work and we have had cellphones and handbags stolen. In addition
to that, this had turned out to be a high-risk crime area.”

This journalist observed that the street lights were not operational. In another development, the community staged another protest over the scarcity of water. Their plea was for efficient water supply. Currently residents were complaining about the construction of new roads while the old ones had not been fixed. They threatened to destroy new developmental programmes if the old ones were not fixed. “We will do something very bad if the potholes are not fixed. How can they build new infrastructure while there are projects that need to be fixed?”

Another thing which angered community was the building of a community hall when the town was in dire need of a clinic. “I have a five-month-old baby and I am obliged to take him to the clinic every month, but due to this problem, I sometimes fail to take him there because it is very far from our area. Furthermore, I also cannot afford transport since I am unemployed,” another community member said.

According to informed sources, the community needed the hall to be
transformed into a clinic because the one they visited was too far. They also stated that at this hall there was a mobile clinic once a month, but the community vandalized it and health-care workers stopped coming.

Meanwhile last Sunday at the Nkomeni sports ground, a report-back meeting was held to address locals about developmental issues such as Mphakeni and Mlegeni land-claims issues, the Nkosi City Mall’s progress, the process of Councillors’ elections and the Mayibuye High School dilemma.

The community wrote a letter to the minister of rural development and land reform to resolve the matter as residents felt it took too long and they continually received no response. Ward Councillor, Cllr Mandla Msibi, stated that their only choice was to build a sidewalk to reduce accidents. “The new town, Nkosi City is under construction and most roads have been built. We are now busy with the road to Mandlesive High School,” said Msibi. Msibi introduced the new process for ANC ward-council elections. “The community has the right to choose their leader. Elected people will be asked questions by the community and can be voted out as well if the communities don’t feel happy about them, but only if you are an ANC member, you have a right to elect.” Cllr Elvis Mhawule said the Mayibuye High School was awaiting a response from the Department of Public Works nationally, but assured them that the school would be renovated.

A resident thanked Khisane buses for supporting them with transport during funerals despite the bad roads. “Buscor buses did not reach the cemetery, but Khisane buses withstood the rugged roads and did an efficient job.”