Fix waste management as metro is one big dump

Dear Mr Mayor; with respect to your speech, I am disappointed because one minute you are saying you want ”for the city but not the metro as a whole, please don’t forget Uitenhage and Despatch”.

When it comes to the wish list, I would like you to upgrade the metro waste management as the NMBM is, as everybody knows, one big dump!

You also mentioned the auto industry, which everyone also knows (and you especially as they gave you a very expensive SUV Audi), VWSA is the biggest in the metro and they get lots of visitors from Europe but when they travel from the airport to Uitenhage, they think that they have arrived in India as the trip passes Zwide dumps, back of Despatch dumps and when they are almost in Uitenhage they pass the Swartkops River disaster.

VWSA has spent R28-million on a new People’s Pavilion on one side of the river, R500-million on a Blue Environ Press Shop on the factory side of the river and Market Square R28-million on a new dealership, but the rubbish river runs in the middle. It’s never been restored after numerous floods when trees etc get trapped in the middle and the floods are diverted then hit the sides, which fall in and obviously will eventually break up Mel Brookes Avenue, then into the factories. It needs rebuilding . . . creating much-needed employment in this area and adding to foreign investment.

Then on the other side of town the entrance to Uitenhage is also a mess as the Swartkops River is polluted by our western areas sewerage which flows into the stormwater drains and then into the river. I have spoken to people there re rats – one young girl said there were loads near the school, with kids who had sores on their lips; another old guy was emptying his wheelie bin toilet in the bush – this was less than 1km from our provincial hospital.

Please Mr Mayor, teamwork works. JEFF BRATBY, EXEC MEMBER, SWARTKOPS CONSERVANCY