Ingcaba kuHulumeni
Inhlangano i-Amnesty International igxeka uHulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika ngokwephula amalungelo ezakhamuzi ngesikhathi semvalelwakhaya ngenxa yokhuvethe.
UMasipala uMsunduzi sewazise umphakathi ngesivumelwano obenaso nenkampani ehlinzeka ngogesi kuleli u-Eskom ukuba ungenelele enkingeni obhekene nayo yokunqamuka kukagesi.
IMeya uMzimkhulu Thebolla kanye neNhloko yokusatshalaliswa kukagesi kuzwelonke kwa-Eskom uMnu uMonde Bala, babambe isithangami sabezindaba ngoLwesithathu ukwazisa umphakathi ngalesi simemezelo.
IMeya uThebolla ithe ngeke bananaza ukuthi lo Masipala ubhekene nenkinga yengqalasizinda endala okudala ukuba ulahlekelwe imali.
“Kade kuqeqeshwa iSigungu Esiphezulu soMkhandlu ngesonto eledlule, kunezinto esizibeke eqhulwini ukuba zenzeke kusabelomali sonyaka ozayo. Ukulungiswa nokunakekelwa kwengqalasizinda, ukuqhubeka nokulungisa ingqalasizinda kagesi, ukuhlinzeka izisebenzi ngezinsiza, ukubeka eqhulwini izinsiza ezizosakhela imali, bese kuqedwa imsebenzi eyaqalwa ngowezi-2016 kuze kube ngowezi-2021,” kusho iMeya uThebolla.
Iqhube yathi ukusha kweziphehli zomlilo zabo nyakenye kube inhlekelele eyisimanga, futhi abakaze babe nokucisha kukagesi isikhathi eside ngale ndlela kodwa wathi lokho kukhombisa ukuthi ingqalasizinda yabo isindala. Ithe basaqhubeka nokuthola izikhalazo eziningi ezinkundleni zokuxhumana nangezingcingo okudalwa ukucisha kukagesi okuhlasele leli dolobha.
“ISigungu Esiphezulu savuma ukuthi kufakwe izigidi ezingama-R80 ukuba kulungiswe ingqalasizinda endala kagesi, okubala iziteshi ezintathu okuyiPiet Retief, iMasons Mill kanye ne-Eastwood, kodwa uMasipala usadinga izigidigidi ezi-R4 ukuxazulula izinkinga ezibhekene nogesi waseMsunduzi,” kusho iMeya uThebolla.
Ithe kudingeke ukuba babe nobuchule ukubhekana nezinkinga zikagesi ezihlasele uMsunduzi obekuwukuyokhala ku-Eskom okuyiwo ohlinzeka ngogesi ukuze ulekelele izinsiza abanazo bewuMasipala ukuze kuxazululwe inkinga kagesi.
“Siyakholwa ukuthi ngokusebenzisana no-Eskom ukuqeqeshwa kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwezisebenzi kuzokwenzeka, kanjalo nokusheshisa ukuthengwa kwezinsiza kuzosilekelela ukuba sixazulule ngokushesha izinkinga esibhekene nazo,” isho kanje.
IMeya iqhube yathi uMasipala usaqhubeka nezingxoxo neDevelopment Bank of South Africa (DBSA), uMnyango Wezezimbiwa Namandla, uMnyango Wezezimali kanye nabatshalizimali ukuqinisekisa ukuthi iyatholakala imali yokulungisa ingqalasizinda esidlulelwe isikhathi ukuze kube nozinzo edolobheni.
“Sethemba ukuthi lokhu kuzothuthukisa umnotho wendawo kuphinde kungaphazamisi ukusebenza kwansuku zonke kwamabhizinisi,” kusho iMeya.
Ithe bayabubona ubungozi umphakathi ophila ngaphansi kwabo ngenxa yengqalasizinda endala nedicilelwe phansi izinswelaboya kanjalo nalabo abafuna ukuzixhumela ugesi ngokungekho emthethweni.
“Ukuxazulula lezi zinkinga sinqume ukuthatha ingxenye enkulu yemali esizoyithola ekuthengiseni kwethu ngogesi siyibuyisele kuwona ukuba kulungiswe ingqalasizinda. Siphinde sabona kumqoka ukuba sitshale onogada bakaMasipala njengoba sibone sikhula isibalo sokudicilelwa phansi kwengqalasizinda kagesi kuleli dolobha, sethemba ukuthi izakhamuzi zizozuza ngalokhu kusebenzisana kukaHulumeni,” isho kanje.
UMnu uBala uthe: “Kuthe uma kufika leli thuba lokuba singenelele silekelele uMasipala salithatha ngezandla zombili ngoba uma kucisha ugesi izakhamuzi zicabanga ukuthi u-Eskom zingacabangi ukuthi inkinga kaMasipala, njengoba sihlinzeka uMasipala ngogesi kumele sibuyise isithunzi. Uma izinto zingahambi kahle kuMasipala lokho kuthikameza u-Eskom. Ngethemba ukuthi sizosebenzisana kahle noMsunduzi kule minyaka embalwa ezayo.”