Youth Day clean-up

Independent councillor candidate Lungisile Madinda organised a clean-up in Ward 11 to mark Youth Day on 16 June. Ward 11 includes parts of Extension 6, Extension 7 and Ethembeni. “The situation is very bad,” Madinda told Grocott’s Mail. “There’s lots of illegal dumping.”

Madinda aimed to help residents to take responsibility for making sure their area was clean. “I want to create an awareness that a dirty environment affects their lives,” Madinda said.

“I also want to build up capacity in the community to monitor these illegal dumping sites, and so help control them.”

Madinda expressed gratitude for donations from Ntsika Secondary School (100 black plastic bags) and the local clinic (40 black plastic bags, gloves and surgical masks). Makana Municipality brought 30 black bags and a large skip, which they were going to collect the next day.

He said they hadn’t yet reached Extension 6 and would continue the clean-up there during the weekend or early the next week.

Madinda, who is one of the beneficiaries of Castle farm, at Salem, says he opted to become an independent candidate when he failed to make the ANC’s candidate list. He says as a popular choice, he expects to be Photo: Supplied elected as a councillor and once that happens, will base himself in his family’s Ward 11 home. Why does he want the job? “Because the institution (municipality) needs to be run in a proper manner.

“The main thing wrong now is the tender process. For example the contractors who are supposed to be fixing Sani Street haven’t finished the job – yet they have been paid.”

Madinda says he has experience not only as a farmer, but also as a building contractor registered with the Building Council.He served on Grahamstown’s Transitional Local Council when it was established in 1995 and because of his experience as a builder he sat on the housing and infrastructure portfolio committee.