Festive season contingency plan issued
The festive season contingency plan for Ndlambe was discussed at the final council meeting for the year, held at Cannon Rocks Beach Suite last Friday.
The plan is intended to accommodate additional personnel and services that may be required should something unplanned for occur. The plan deals with matters including roads management and the establishment of one-way routes to beaches and around town during the New Year’s Eve celebrations and control points that will be set up.
However, ward 9 councillor Stwiga Njibana accused the municipality of “racism” when it came to the way black people who visited the beaches on December 16 were not afforded the right to party in the same way in which they are allowed to do on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, when authorities turn a blind eye to drinking in public and littering.
“I propose that December 16 be treated the same as December 31,” Njibana said. Road control points A total of 18 marshals will be assigned to the control points that will be established in the following areas in Port Alfred:
Intersection of Muller Drive and West Beach Road as well as Muller Drive and Oriole Road;
Intersection of Hirtzel and Beach Road, and at the intersection of Muller Drive, Wesley Hill and Grand Street, and Wesley Hill and Smith Street;
Intersection of Smith Street and Beach Road as well as Wesley Hill and Beach Road; The entrance to the West Beach car park; The intersection of Albany Road, Pascoe Crescent, and the intersection of Southwell Road and Main Street.
In Kenton-on-Sea an access control point will be set up at the intersection of Eastbourne Road and Vasco da Gama Drive. Compliance with the law The municipality assured that laws would be enforced, including a zero tolerance for drinking and driving or negligent driving and disorderly behaviour.
According to the festive season plan, “a zero tolerance approach will be enforced for drinking in public, glass bottles on the beach and drinking alcohol on the beach”.
The municipality also warned that vehicles obstructing traffic would be towed away. Casual staff Three additional casuals will be hired to assist in monitoring slipways and rivers at the Port Alfred small boat harbour, Kariega slipway and the Bushman’s River slipway.
A total of 20 more casuals will be employed to deal with road surface issues that may arise as a result of pothole damage and a need for resurfacing or grading. These will be shared between Port Alfred, Bathurst and Seafield/Kleinemonde.
A further three casuals will be hired to assist with sewage handling, including unblocking of lines, in the same areas. Water quality and quantity A report on water availability showed that dams in the area should be able to accommodate the needs of both residents and visitors over the festive season.
The Sarel Haywood Dam (serving Port Alfred) was 98% full. The Mansfield Dam (Bathurst and Port Alfred) was at 48% – this will be used if a crisis occurs – the Port Alfred balancing dam was at 51% (not good enough and needs to be filled), the Golden Ridge Dam (Bathurst) was at 75%, the Toposcope old and new reservoirs (Bathurst) were at 75% and 50% respectively.
The Mount Wellington Dam (Seafield) and its balancing dam are at 100%. Sanitation The municipality will hire an additional sanitation truck and a pressure machine to unblock lines to deal with the influx of visitors over the period.