“THE lack of service delivery especially in eThekwini is due to irregularities and corruption within dysfunctional ward committees who are hand picked by the councillor.”
This is word from a frustrated ward 32 PR councillor, Sharmaine Sewshanker, who said shared that, Clairwood is no exception and is slowly drowning in sewer and refuse. “People should stop voting with their hearts and use their votes wisely to ensure accountability by their candidate of choice. Some councillors are only there for their party, and not for the people and once they get voted into power, they neglect their communities.
Khayelitsha informal settlement in Horseshoe Road, for example, has too few ablution facilities to accommodate the entire settlement. The toilets are blocked and raw sewerage has formed a pool around the ablution blocks. This poses a huge health hazard to the residents. With the second wave of Covid-19 expected to hit SA soon, how do communities protect themselves if they are exposed to contaminated air and water daily?” she questioned, adding that the toilets often get locked at night, forcing men and and women to share a single toilet.
“The transit camps have no electricity and students writing exams have had to battle studying by candle light. DSW has not picked up the rubbish for months and the community has resorted to burning the dirt to get rid of it. Huge rats have burrowed holes near the settlement to feed on the rotting piles of rubbish. The community say that babies and small children are often attacked by the rodents some which are as huge as cats.
“I will be writing to the chair of the department of human settlements as well as the infrastructure committee, the heads of eThekwini electricity department and DSW (Durban Solid Waste) and the mayor’s office to address the dire neglect of this area. To allow our people to live in such neglect is a disgrace and a violation of their basic human rights. I will continue to fight for communities that have been forgotten by the ruling party.”
eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment by the time of going to print.
WATCH: A neglected Clairwood slowly drowns in sewage and refuse
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. For any comments or queries, contact the National Group Editor, Irma Green at irma@caxton.co.za or the Legal Adviser, Helene Eloff at helene@caxton.co.za.
DID YOU KNOW? Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 876 3179 The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
