“The development you are referring to has surprised us all. My family is staying on that farm and no one from the municipality bothered to inform us about the development, instead they removed the forest near the graveside. One wonders how our government operates in that the people staying in and around the area don’t have electricity, running water and sanitation,” Ms Esther Mabena said.
She is not the only one who contacted WITBANK NEWS after the article on the new development hit the headlines on May 29.
Mr Sipho Mabena wrote an email wherein he asks the same question.
“We are really shocked, saddened and disappointed with the whole issue. At the end of the day you will find that all Vosman people for example will be given houses in our area and we won’t get anything. We will remain in the mud and shack houses and still be fetching water from the river as the borehole water that was created by the councilors excretes rusted water,” he wrote.
He wanted to know who gave the municipality the go ahead with this new development.
Two developments adding to the headaches of service delivery in the municipality, are creating quite a stir.
Already Emalahleni Local Municipality is struggling to pay off its Eskom debt. There are regular water interruptions because of aging infrastructure, sewer treatment plants are working above their designed capacity and refuse removal is not always on par. Taking all these problems into consideration the green lights are given to all new developments.
The first is the new residential area on various portions of the farm Blesboklaagte 296 JS next to Jackaroo Park and that will allow for 3 500 stands to be erected. The second is the proposed Siyanqoba Residential Township development located 2.31km North West of Pine Ridge and 4.63km North West of Klarinet. The Siyanqoba development will make space for 9 500 stands.
According to data collected by STATS SA in the 2011 census, eMalahleni experienced a 43.1% growth rate in its population, from 2001 to 2011.
The census further found that 19.3 % of eMalahleni’s population resides in informal dwellings.
This highlights the fact that a tremendous need exists within eMalahleni for the establishment of affordable residential erven.
The census also unveiled that 6 273 people in eMalahleni still have no access to potable water (tap water), and 2 987 people do not have toilet facilities.
The developer, Vipcon (PTY) LTD argues that by establishing a formal township all erven within the township will be serviced with water and sanitation ensuring access to basic services.
Statistics from the 2011 census also indicates that 68.9 % of eMalahleni’s population between five and 24 years of age do not attend school. This may be ascribed to the fact that schools are overcrowded and inaccessible to portions of the community.
Again the developer said provision is made for schools in the proposed town, ensuring easy and convenient access for the community to educational facilities.
Vipcon as well as the local municipality failed for the second week to answer a few questions relating to the Siyanqoba development.
These questions need urgent attention as it seems that a Basic Assessment Process followed instead of a full Environmental Impact Assessment Process, no traffic impact study was done, as was no socio-economic study done and no workable plans with time frames regarding basic services were noted and no one answered whether a water use license was applied for.
What do you think of the new development? Comment your thoughts below.
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