Road hogs raise ire at IDP meeting
Housing rectifications, blocked drains, speed humps, youth development and waste management were among the issues brought forward by residents of the Molly Blackburn cluster at an IDP meeting at the Walmer town hall on Monday.
Residents of the cluster – which includes wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 – gathered to review the budget and discuss the priorities.
Area A resident Vuyisile Meko attributed the issues of sewage and overcrowding in Walmer location to a misjudgment by the municipality many years ago.
“The most pressing issue here is the [reeking] sewage that has taken grip of our streets, and that is due to poor infrastructure planning of Walmer location. The municipality needs to go back and do a proper feasibility study.
“Maybe when it was developed, the then government never thought it would grow and therefore could not have anticipated the current population, but here we are,” he said.
Community members said Walmer location was faced with a race-course crisis, with taxis and motorists speeding down roads that were also used by pedestrians in the absence of pavements.
Blind ward 4 resident Thenjiwe Nonimba said she was sad they were being rushed, and pleaded with the executive council of the Bay municipality to prioritise the disabled.
“The infrastructure issues are pressing in our ward. If you go to the other side of Heugh Road, you won’t find issues of not having pavements and cars racing because it’s a [priority] area,” she said.
“I am now pleading with the new government to make us disabled individuals a priority. I cannot afford to have someone walk with me. I rely solely on my cane.”
Resident Luyolo Makwabe requested that the executive council allows the wards time to grow through the budget to make well-informed priority recommendations.
Mayor Mongameli Bobani said he had heard all the issues raised and felt they were valid and worth looking into.