Progress with access road
"The ANC will engage in mass action against this municipality, within the limitations of the law, as of Monday (1 October)," ANC chief whip councillor Jovan Bruinders said to councillors in the monthly council meeting on Thursday, 27 September in reaction to a recommendation to council that councillors should take cognisance of the need to construct a second access road to Dana Bay.
Bruinders also called on all "progressive organisations to stand up against" the proposed additional road intended for the Dana Bay community.
The Mossel Bay town council on Thursday noted the need for a second access road to Dana Bay. Days later, during the early hours of Monday, 1 October, renewed unrest blocked the N2 in both directions as well as the Louis Fourie Road between the Dana Bay and Casino Road intersections, underscoring the urgency to provide an alternative access road to the suburb for the sake of the community's safety.
Residents of Dana Bay have in recent months been trapped in their suburb on four separate occasions, one of which was the devastating fires of December 2016.
The chief whip of the ANC, Councillor Jovan Bruinders vehemently objected to the proposed additional access road. After a short caucus at his request, Bruinders argued that the provision of the second access road negated the notion of peace between the communities.
"We foresee as a council that the communities of wards 11 (Dana Bay) and 3 (Asla Park) will forever clash. The cost involved for this project cannot be justified against this narrative."
Councillor Bruinders said the municipality should treat all residents as equal and rued what he described as the underspending in the traditional ANC-led wards.
In reaction, the Speaker asked the administration to have Councillor Bruinders' threat duly noted, to which councillor Bruinders replied that the ANC would engage in mass action within the ambit of the law. Councillor Bruinders was supported by Councillor Buda who said there never was money available for "other" communities when he asked that council should treat all people as equal.
Opposition parties, the ACDP and ICOSA, countered the ANC's stand by emphasising the life-threatening situation that residents of Dana Bay at times were subjected to.
"The ACDP has in the past asked that the additional access road for Dana Bay be prioritised as people's lives were at risk, particularly in the case of natural disasters," Councillor Jeanette Gouws said.
Icosa's regional chairperson, Councillor Dawid Kamfer also indicated that the second access road was long overdue, saying that every resident in Mossel Bay had the right to safety and security.
"I do, however, query the sudden urgency. Should this council be dictated to by boycotts and riots to realise that another road is needed?" He expressed his dismay at the notion that certain communities received preferential treatment.
Council, however, noted that the Dana Bay community repeatedly, though temporarily, was trapped in the area due to veld fires and community unrest. "The result is that residents feel anxious and frustrated at not being able to access critical care and other facilities in town", nor are they able to get to their places of work. At the recent IDP and community meetings, the Dana Bay residents implored the municipality to urgently construct an additional access road to the area. Council decided to mandate the municipality to continue with the pre-planning phase for the respective options consisting, among other options, of securing the necessary funding, possible pre-environmental impact study analysis, negotiations and discussions with the private landowners and SANRAL as well as road alignment determination.
The Road Master Plan indicates two roads as future planned road network linkage. The adopted Spatial Development Framework of council, dated May 2018, acknowledges the Road Master Plan and indicates the future alignment of these and other roads.
At community meetings in Dana
Bay in recent months, the community overwhelmingly supported plans to have an additional access link with the N2 at the Herbertsdale intersection.
The necessary funding for the construction of the additional access road must still be secured as it is not currently budgeted for.
Being a municipal road, the municipality is responsible for the funding. However, other options such as private and corporate sponsorships and provincial government funding would be investigated.
The intention is to start with the planning and design of the prioritised option during the 2019/20 financial year with construction to follow as authority is obtained. Several activities, such as obtaining environmental planning, negotiations for funding and negotiations with the landowners, could take place in the meantime and subsequently save time.