Provincial delegation addresses concerns
HOUSES, a clinic, a police station, electricity and water have been promised to the residents of Mfekayi and Zamimpilo near Mtubatuba after last week’s violent protests on the N2 caught the attention of provincial government.
This after a high level government delegation tasked by KZN Premier Willies
Mchunu and led by KZN MEC for Transport, Community
Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda, and KZN MEC for Human Settlements Ravi Pillay, on Thursday visited the communities.
Hundreds of community members filled the Mfekayi hall to hear what the MECs had to say.
The community’s demands included the upgrading of access roads, a clinic, a police station, electricity, toilets and water.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs reported that the electrification programme has started with 500 houses in the area.
Access roads, which are the responsibility of municipalities, have been allocated a budget and plans are in place to commence with construction this week.
uMkhanyakude District Municipality reported that water upgrades had been hampered by the drought of recent years, but that it has started addressing the problem of broken reservoir pumps.
Plans are underway to increase the daily amount of water dispensed by the reservoir.
Plans to build a clinic are being finalised, but until its completion, the Department of Health will provide more mobile clinics in the area.
The department will set up a committee to oversee the clinics and ensure effective service delivery.
Pillay said the government has started building houses in the area, but some are still outstanding. He said the procurement process to build houses for families on the waiting list has begun and that the department would ensure high quality houses are built.
‘The department will monitor this process for the next 30 days and if there are challenges, we will intervene directly,’ he said.
He will return to the area in September to hand over appointed contractors to each ward.
The project will begin with the 100 most destitute families in each ward identified through Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
Police have allocated a mobile police station which operates from 8am - 4pm in crime hotspots. Kaunda said police management in the cluster has also developed a plan to ensure police deployments are increased.
He urged members of the community to stop embarking on illegal and violent protests and blockading roads, and to use proper channels to raise their grievances.
‘Anyone who wants to organise a protest march must obtain a permit from the local authorities and without this permit police must act and arrest illegal protesters,’ he said.