MBOMBELA – The late former president Mr Nelson Mandela has had various parks, universities, townships and even a nuclear particle named after him, and soon a gate to the Kruger National Park (KNP) may carry his name too.
There are plans to construct a new gate to the KNP in the long-planned Nkosi City. A proposal for the self-sustaining city was at last presented to Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) on December 4.
Mr Mandla Msibi, Nkosi City Community Property Association (NCCPA) spokesman and Mbombela councillor, says he thinks the progress has been dragging for a long time because they intend for the city to be built by the beneficiaries themselves.
“If we were going to do it through handing out tenders instead of cooperatives, departments would have moved faster. The pain of the people does not equate to the pace of delivery.”
As the councillor for Ward 2B, the area in Pienaar where the self-sustaining city is planned to be built, Msibi has been driving the project since its inception in 2010. It is planned to be a complete integrated human settlement and an ecnomic hub which will see residents get training and work in cooperatives for their own and the rest of Mbombela’s benefit, all to be achieved through public-private partnerships.
It was included in Mbombela Local Municipality’s (MLM) integrated development plan in 2011 and the Mpakeni chief, the owner of the land in question, gave his consent for the project the same year. In 2012 the community agreed to the provincial department of rural development and land affairs as well.
The NCCPA was born and the interim committee set about meeting with each relevant provincial department, including education, health and human settlements. “Then we had to meet with the premier and that is where the problems started.” When they failed to secure a meeting with Mr David Mabuza, they started organising a march on the ANC’s manifesto launch at Mbombela Stadium in January to submit a memorandum to the president. The ministers of state security and presidency intervened. “National came in as an intervention,” Msibi says.
More undertakings were made. Rural development and land reform minister Mr Gugu Nkwinti is now the custodian of the project and inroads are being made in its progress. Since the various blockages have been addressed, the implementation is finally moving along. “As we speak 571 houses are being electrified in Ward 2B,” Msibi says.
Developers Dovetail Properties says once completed the city will be a showcase of cooperation between national, provincial and local government along with tribal leaders, communities and the private sector. The company has been involved in such developments as Mkhuhlu Eco and Farm Estate and the Phabeni Farm Estate.
Nkosi City will offer 4 500 houses, preschools, primary schools, high schools, an FET College, a community health centre, a veterinary clinic, an office complex, a 40 000m2 shopping centre, a fresh produce market, a lodge with traversing rights and tourism opportunities into the KNP, light industrial facilities, a bus terminal and cemetery and land for agriculture.
Now an environmental impact study, a feasibility study and socio-economic impact study must be completed. Construction is planned to commence in 2017.
Mr Jo Koster DA caucus leader in Mbombela council says the basic infrastructure needs to be established first. Msibi says since including Nkosi City in the IDP, MLM has not planned for providing basic infrastructure.
Challenges include the provision of water, electricity and roads. The plan set out in the proposal includes the planned Boschjeskop Dam which was to be built near Mbombela and service Nkosi City too, but has since been abandoned.
“There were 22 farmers living on the site. A dam is needed, but one that will offer a water solution for the entire South Nsikazi Area.”
Only 1 MW electricity is currently available from Eskom, but the report notes that there are “intentions from Eskom to expand this area with additional supply and to construct another substation by 2016”.
A total of 950 hectares are also available for the development of a dam with a hydroelectric plant. In addition, a road linking KMIA with the new KNP gate needs to be provided.
Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) are to train primary beneficiaries (residents of Ward 2B) and secondary beneficiaries (residents of other wards) and co-operatives are to be established in all manner of sectors from manufacturing to tourism.
“We want people to construct the city themselves. The project seeks to address and redress inequality. It will be an economic hub, a first of its kind,” Msibi says.
