Honorable Mayor Zero Mqadi of Ugu District Municipality.
Sorry to address our concerns here but it’s impossible to get a meeting with you or the municipal manager as your efficient staff seems to think that residents concerns are not worthy of your attention.
We in Port Edward and Banners Rest have had a major service delivery failure from your municipality regarding one of the most basic human rights, namely water.
Some residents have not had water in their taps for six weeks and counting but we have a resident that has not had water for nine months
These issues are reported but it seems they fall on deaf ears as the situation just gets worse with excuses like the Umtavuma dam is empty so they can’t send water for seven days to fill up the dam, something that I agree should not happen, it seems there is no oversight.
Then all the villages get fed and then we get the favour of water being sent here, but then there is a break and that takes four days to fix.
Then pressure is too low and the dam is empty, and so the cycle continues.
And let’s not bring up the maintenance of the valves and hydrants that are surrounded by overgrown vegetation that some can’t be found.
I so wish you could see how old people stand in line waiting at the local Methodist church to collect water to drink or to have a basin wash. Some are in their 80s, and I see them and wipe tears away as this reminds me that they could be my grandparents. I am sure you would not like to see this.
The pastor helps the local community despite a massive electricity bill which they bear due to no financial aid from Ugu.
A resident was found in a bad state of dehydration and would have died had she not been found.
I so wish you can hear the pleas of residents pleading for water on our social media group as they have no more money to buy water from those who make a killing selling water to desperate people.
Guest houses don’t have bookings as the water situation is known and holidaymakers prefer to go to areas where they can shower once a day.
No amount of advertising you and Ray Nkonyeni Municipality do will help if we can’t look after those that do visit.
Plans of action have been handed in to your departments but they are ignored.
We request that you attend a meeting with us and learn for yourself how residents suffer due to bias against us and Banners Rest
A resident in Banners Rest had to give up vegetable farming as she has no water and no drinking water for her animals, or about her worker that has kidney problems or about the 5000 litre tank which has not been filled in years.
Or the story of a commercial fisherman that can’t test his motors before he goes out to sea, putting his and the crew’s life at risk.
Or to see tears of joy when we take water to those that can’t go and get it.
Mayor Mqadi, the Minister of Water and Sanitation does care as he recently visited here. Just so sorry that your departments don’t feel the same.
As I write this people are pleading for water to drink or wash in but all requests to prioritise Port Edward falls on deaf ears.
So, Mayor Mqadi make a time to see us, so we can tell you about the lack of service delivery here.
MARTIN VAN ZYL
Water Alliance Port Edward
083 9375216
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