Public meeting omission
his week Ndlambe Municipality held several public meetings to present its plans for augmentation of the bulk water supply for Port Alfred and Bathurst.
As the municipality announced last week that it had finally secured the funding it needed for the construction of a 5 mega litre reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant to extract water from the Kowie River, it follows that these meetings would be about that project and other options being probed to resolve Port Alfred’s water crisis.
In its notice circulated via social media this week, the municipality explained it had “embarked on an initiative to address the current and medium-term water supply backlogs and shortages for Port Alfred, Bathurst and Nolukhanyo.
“A feasibility study has been conducted and several water supply options have been identified. It is essential these options are presented to the community at large in an attempt to facilitate public awareness and participation in this project,” the notice stated.
Four meetings were scheduled. The first one was for the “Nemato general public” at Jauka Hall on Tuesday evening, then one for the “Thornhill general public” at Titi Jonas Hall on Wednesday evening, and two for the “Bathurst general public” today, first at the Bathurst Town Hall at 2pm and then at Nolukhanyo Hall at 5pm.
According to the notice, “quasi government and parastatals” would also be present at the meetings.
Missing in all this was a meeting for Port Alfred residents, which appears to be a glaring oversight by the municipality.
The last time the municipality held a public meeting on the water crisis for Port Alfred residents was on January 14. There was a good turnout at the Port Alfred Civic Centre, with communication from municipal officials and the mayor, and question time for residents, who also asked for regular updates.
But since then, the only updates have come in the form of occasional notices and communication through the Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) office.
Why have Port Alfred residents been left out of the loop in the current “stakeholder engagement sessions”?
SCT manager Sandy Birch, who passed on the notice from the municipality, said she had contacted ward 10 councillor Ray Schenk and asked that he insist that a similar meeting take place in Port Alfred. Birch is correct, but why should it be an afterthought on the part of the municipality?
Someone dropped the ball on this. Of all people, mayor Khululwa Ncamiso, who was present at the January 14 meeting, should have made sure a meeting was scheduled for ward 10 residents too. This must be rectified.
TJon Houzet