An oversight visit to Greenpoint in Kimberley on Thursday left Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane with a heavy heart and much to be desired from Sol Plaatje Municipality.
AN OVERSIGHT visit to Greenpoint in Kimberley on Thursday left Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane with a heavy heart and much to be desired from Sol Plaatje Municipality.
Mkhwebane and her team kicked off her two-day roadshow in the city by conducting inspections in Greenpoint, at the R31 sewage dam and at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital.
The roadshow is aimed at strengthening ties and fostering collaboration and co-operation between the Public Protector and organs of state, including provincial legislatures, government departments, municipalities and traditional authorities, with a view to promoting quality service delivery.
Mkhwebane looked visibly disgusted and discouraged after witnessing the lack of basic service delivery from the local municipality.
Mkhwebane said she was deeply disappointed with how municipal officials and executives have failed to urgently attend to basic services, which has posed not only a threat to the health of residents but has also resulted in communities living in appalling conditions.
“We visited Greenpoint with the Speaker of the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Nomazizi Maputle, as well as officials from the Speaker’s office. What we witnessed in that area was very disturbing,” said Mkhwebane.
“We had a complaint from one resident we visited who told us that she had been living in stench and unhygienic conditions due to sewage blockages. The resident said that when it rains, the sewage runs down the streets and the children play in that sewage. There are even livestock, pigs, who apparently are grazing in those sewage-filled streets.
“This problem had apparently been dragging on for years and was never attended to. That is unacceptable and just unthinkable how residents are forced to live in such conditions.”
Mkhwebane said the municipality has promised to attend to the matter.
“The municipality has in the meantime agreed, as a short-term plan, to cover that sewage with soil and chemicals on Friday, February 17, to ensure that residents have some relief from the stench. There is a heavy stench in the area and the chemicals will help with bacteria. However, this is just a short-term solution. The municipality needs to solve the matter permanently.”
She stated that there is an urgent need for municipal officials and executives to execute their duties and the mandate of the municipality.
“The conditions in Greenpoint are unacceptable. The officials claim they were working during December yet people have to live in sewage. We cannot have residents sitting in stench while officials are sitting comfortably in their offices that are equipped with air conditioners or staying in areas where they do not experience such challenges.
“The duty of the officials is to respond to such problems. We have told the Speaker of the municipality that oversight is her responsibility and she should hold the executives responsible for failing to execute their duties.
“Municipal officials must conduct visits to the residential areas to see how people are living. Such problems should not linger on for years and not be responded to. The municipality has the resources and manpower to address such matters.”
Mkhwebane said the “disaster” on R31 is also a problem that needs urgent intervention.
“The R31 is another problem which needs to be addressed with urgency. We were informed that there were numerous accidents on that road. Matters such as these should be attended to immediately … The state of such affairs is very disappointing to the people,” she sighed.
Mkhwebane will on Friday meet with Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul.
