Residents decry lack of services
Ward 44 members question credibility at BCM draft IDP budget meeting
COMMUNITY members from Buffalo City Metro (BCM) Ward 44 used the platform of the draft IDP budget to question the credibility of their ward councillor at a packed Tshatshu community hall last week.
Ward councillor Sixolisiwe Ntsasela was peppered with questions and blamed for the poor state of the ward due to a lack of service delivery.
She was also accused of failing to account to communities during meetings.
The draft IDP budget was presented by the BCM oversight directorate of health, public safety and member of the mayoral committee councillor Amanda Mute to residents of Acorn Valley, Breidbach, the Golf Club area, Qalashe, Siyathemba, Sweetwaters and Tshatshu.
During her presentation, Mute said the objectives of the meeting were to provide feedback on issues raised at previous public consultation meetings and to provide a progress report on implementation of 2017-18 projects.
You will be offered the opportunity to raise questions for clarity or give input
Present proposed projects in each ward for 2018-19 to 2020-21 were also to be discussed with an opportunity provided to residents of the ward to comment on the draft IDP and budget before it was tabled in council for adoption.
“I want you to listen attentively to the presentation of the draft and you will be offered the opportunity to raise questions for clarity or give input on the budget immediately when I am done,” Mute said.
After her presentation of the IDP, she handed over to Ntsasela for input from the various areas.
Nomawethu Doyle of the Tshatshu area said priorities such as housing and electricity were listed every year.
“BCM promised that the electricity challenges will receive attention in September last year and we are still waiting.
“We have no sports grounds for our youth and our cemetery is in a pathetic state although we have made numerous calls [for assistance] to our councillor.”
Another resident said: “Our roads are in a terrible state. We have no services. I can not remember when last we had a meeting and the worse part is that our councillor is just nowhere to be found when we seek her attention.”
Sweetwaters and Golf Club residents also complained about the poor state of their roads, a lack of sports grounds, no developmental projects and no services.
A lack of programmes for the youth, lack of maintenance of sports grounds, an appeal to upgrade the Breidbach N2 intersection due to the high number of accidents in the area and a call to extend the clinic building were issues topping the Breidbach priority list.
Siyathemba residents said the last time they had a project was when the previous councillor was still at office.
“We had the toilet project when councillor Leon Mentoor was still in office and the project has not yet been completed. We need a community hall.
Qalashe residents complained about the newly built bridge connecting their area to Tshatshu which was a hazard for children due to the lack of rails.
They also called for the construction of a community hall, a clinic, street lamps and a sports field.
Ntsasela said BCM would try all in their power to attend to the issues which had been raised.