We’re still here for you
Congratulations to Ndlambe Municipality on improving their score in the Blue Drop Report that assesses drinking water quality in SA municipalities for 2023.
The report, issued annually by the department of water and sanitation (DWS), notes that 26 water supply systems (WSS) scored more than 95% and qualified for the prestigious Blue Drop certification.
“In 2014, 44 WSS were awarded Blue Drop status. This indicates an overall decline,” DWS said.
The department said “fundamental reform” was required to turn around the decline in municipal water and sanitation services and recently gazetted the Water Services Amendment Bill for public comment.
DWS said: “The bill distinguishes between the roles of water services authority (WSA) and water services provider (WSP) in municipalities.
“The WSA is the part of the municipality that is responsible for ensuring that water services are provided according to national norms and standards and the WSP is the part of the municipality responsible for providing the service. The bill introduces a compulsory operating licence system, to be managed by the DWS.
“This will enable WSAs to ensure that WSPs have minimum competency, capability, and performance levels in future.”
For many, the festive season represents holidays, family, fun times and reconnecting.
But behind the hype and marketing, there are more people than you might think who experience this period differently. Many of these are the elderly, whose younger family members aren’t able to visit them during this time — either because they live too far away, or they are working.
If you’re finding this time challenging or difficult, please reach out for help to the SA Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).
You can access help at www.sadag.org, or by calling 011-234-4837 or 0800-205-026.
The Santa Senior Shoebox project has been a great success this year due to the generosity of our community — businesses, individuals, churches and NGOs. This year we have partnered with Edge Financial Group, Multi Security, PARRA, Rosehill SuperSpar, Sunshine Coast Spar and Pick n Pay Port Alfred. We are still packing the boxes and plan to deliver before 14 December.
We cannot thank the community enough. Because of your donations, senior citizens will have something to brighten up their festive season.
Talk of the Town is here, like we always are, every Thursday throughout December and January. And you’ll see our team out and about up and down the Sunshine Coast and the hills and valleys of Bathurst and Makhanda. We’ll be watching you — but in the nicest kind of way!
Tomorrow our special FREE Sunshine Holiday edition hits the streets.
Geared for both visitors and locals, it is packed with things to do and places to go across Ndlambe.
From December 9, Sunshine Holiday 2023 will be available for free at all the outlets where you usually buy your copy of Talk of the Town. We will also be delivering Sunshine Holiday 2023 to holiday destinations and establishments across the region.
The spirit of Christmas was definitely in the air at the St Paul’s Anglican Church fete on Saturday December 2, with freshly baked cakes and cookies, dew-fresh vegetables, books, pre-loved household treasures and real, live pancake flipping. Sue Maclennan took the pictures.
After my appreciation letter, it is really not nice for me to do this.
While the Ndlambe municipal libraries are posting about wellness programmes and R700K is being spent on a oneday music festival, my family is living in the filth of raw sewage for the second week running.
At this point, I have sewage all over my front lawn and yard. I cannot get into the front door anymore because raw sewage has been streaming from a blocked inspection cover which was built on the property by the municipality — not even linked to my sewerage pipes. This is such a serious health risk because I have children in my house — one as young as 20 months.
Sewage from the whole area is streaming down my front lawn. I have been up and down to the municipality for the past two weeks but nothing has been done. Municipal officials have been on different occasions: they stand and look for half an hour then leave.
This morning the stench and filth is even worse. I can’t take it anymore.
We are going to get seriously ill from this. I hope that this letter will ignite some urgency in this matter because I really need help. —
We have contacted the affected person and are waiting for the details of her physical address so that we will can track this issue. Our officials will attend to this problem as a matter of urgency as soon as we receive this information. We will have to look at the extent of the problem before we know the timeline for resolving it. – Ndlambe Municipality communications department
I would like to congratulate the master of the high court in Makhanda’s estates department for their efficient service.
I live in KwaZulu-Natal and have had to lodge two family estates in the last month with their office. They send you an sms confirming receipt of documents and then again when the Letters of Executorship have been issued, together with an email advising it can be collected.
The other masters offices in the country have a lot to learn from them. Well done. —