THE uMhlanga Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association (URRA) recently held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) where it reflected on its achievements and spoke on the challenges facing the area.
The ratepayers’ body was started in June 2023 by Terri MacLarty, who is the current chairperson.
Dr Mike Sutcliffe was the guest speaker at the AGM.
In June, Sutcliffe and former Director-General in the Presidency, Dr Cassius Lubisi, were appointed as governance experts by the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to lead an intervention in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality amid ongoing battles in the metro, including rampant crime, service delivery issues, and aging infrastructure.
Also read: Repair work at wastewater treatment works progressing, says City
According to MacLarty, some of the issues plaguing residents at the moment is the ongoing lack of water supply, the closure of uMhlanga’s beaches due to sewage overflows and high E. coli readings and noise pollution from businesses in the area.
“There are still a number of issues we feel need to be improved upon, especially in terms of service delivery. Our deputy chairperson, Duncan Heafield, noted that the beaches have been closed for more than 140 days this year alone. The beaches were closed during the recent long weekend, and as a result, our economy is suffering. The situation cannot go on as it has been,” MacLarty explained.
“We have also fielded a number of complaints on water-supply issues. We learned that the City loses non-revenue water losses sitting at more than 50%. We have also had issues with noise pollution, specifically from residents in the village, with loud music playing late into the night. We are also pushing for a long-term solution on the taxi rank in uMhlanga. Currently, there is a temporary facility with 90 ranking bays to cater for the taxi operations within the uMhlanga precinct, however, there needs to be a concrete plan to increase the capacity, and I personally have been liaising with the various role-players on the matter,” she said.
Reflecting on improvements within the area, MacLarty pointed to the new metro police satellite office in Prestondale as well as the increase in the numbers of the ratepayers’ base.
They have gone from 70 members in 2023 to close to 350 members this year.
To learn more about URRA or to join, visit www.urra.co.za.
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