SICK and tired of the appalling state of Port Shepstone, Councillor Carole Potter of Ward 18, has spoken out about how she has been fobbed off by several Hibiscus Coast Municipality officials when she highlights pressing issues in her ward.
“My job is service delivery and to represent the community and if I am ignored by HCM I will go to the media and expose this,” she said.
She told the Herald this week that in desperation, after getting no response from the HOD of Infrastructure, the manager of housing or the municipal manager about the plight of a family living in the Port Shepstone Caravan Park, she wrote to the Human Rights Commission.
Within 24 hours the HRC responded to her letter, confirming that it would investigate the matter.
The issue of the caravan park has been on-going since 2011 when residents discovered that the landlord had not paid the rent and utilities bill.
As a result, the electricity was disconnected and HCM served illegal eviction orders on residents. HCM then indicated that RDP housing would be provided for those who qualified.
In 2013, Ugu Municipality realised that the residents were still being provided with water although they were not being billed or paying. The supply was then disconnected.
Cllr Potter said one of the families had from the start complied with HCM’s application process and genuinely deserved help. She added that in January 2014, a developer, who had ‘amazing plans’ to upgrade the Shark Den and caravan park, had been given a long lease on the land, but was not able to proceed for various reasons.
Other issues that are frustrating her are the continuous abuse of water by taxis parked near the Law Enforcement office, and the lack of maintenance on public buildings.
The sports club at the Port Shepstone Borough Grounds has been stripped over the last year and left to rack and ruin, along with many public works homes.
“No maintenance is done, and this is a blatant waste of ratepayers’ money and assets,” she said.
She added that the poorly maintained municipal cemetery is a massive embarrassment for HCM.
Cllr Potter went on to say Law Enforcement officers had taken no action against the driving school vehicles which park in the public road, blocking motorists trying to enter the St Katharine’s Anglican church grounds.
“Are there hidden agendas in the Law Enforcement department? Some officers drive around doing nothing while some work extremely hard,” she said.
She also queried why officers are not issuing warnings or fines to those who put out their rubbish on days not allocated for collection.
Cllr Potter said even more frustrating was that the buck continued to be passed between HCM and the Department of Transport regarding who is responsible for repairing the dilapidated fence along the R102.
“Are they incapable of meeting to come up with a solution?” she aked.
“The entrance to Port Shepstone looks like a squatter camp with the broken fence, and a large flashing ‘TV’ creating a dangerous distraction for motorists at the main intersection.”
She also queried why no solution had been forged between Transnet (as it is Transnet land) and HCM to clean up Athlone Drive northwards, an area riddled with prostitution, dumping, drug peddlers and vandalised empty buildings. “It is an eyesore and dangerous for residents,” she added.
The councillor says she is also being ignored by the building and planning department when she raises questions about issues such as landlords subletting their rooms/buildings to as many people as possible, and infrastructure as to why not a single home has been built in her ward since 1994. She has asked for low cost housing to be built for people who don’t qualify for RDP houses and has heard nothing.
Cllr Potter was once again not informed by anyone from HCM about the Monday evening’s power outage. She said she received plenty of phone calls and more than 50 messages from residents inquiring about the outage that plunged Port Shepstone into pitch darkness for more than two hours after loadshedding.
She said that since communication from HCM is non existent, she asks that residents in future phone HOD for Human Settlements and Infrastructure, Richard Dlamini at 078 4667835 or municipal manager, Max Mbili at 082 7087889.
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