Huge public outcry over cost of Mbombela street name changes
A flood of disappointment and frustration has flared up since the plans of the City of Mbombela (CoM) to change street names in the city became known.
“Change street name for what?” Thandazile Mgwenya said on Facebook. “Our clinics do not have enough staff and medical equipment. There are no ambulances. Build schools and clinics in the rural areas. You can’t be foolish and stupid at the same time. Street names do not affect anyone,” she said
Last week Lowvelder revealed that the council’s local geographical names committee initiated a process to change street names in the city, White River, Hazyview and Barberton.
Most of the comments against the planned name changes did not so much address the emotional side of the plans, but rather the budgetary impact the process will have on taxpayers.
“Change the names if you want, but not with our money,” Linda Grimbeek, chief operating officer of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism said last week. The proposed name changes could cost the residents and taxpayers millions of rands. The council published two official notices last week.
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One notification was for the submission of proposals for renaming streets in the four towns and the other was for the submission of objections/appeals regarding the naming and renaming of geographical features in the area of responsibility of the municipality.
The geographical features referred to were the renaming of streets in suburbs as well as the changing the name of Pienaar. Confusion reigned over the deadlines for responses to these two notices.
The submission of objections or appeals regarding the renaming of geographical features is 21 days, thus June 15, as opposed to submission of proposals for renaming streets which is 30 days, thus June 24.
The submission for naming/renaming of geographical features should include background information about the proposed name. These two notifications are two different processes and therefore have two different deadlines, Joseph Ngala, spokesman for the municipality explained.
TJ Maré, well-known businessman and driving force behind the WeCare4 Nelspruit project, launched the “Stop Mbombela Street Names (There is no money),” campaign.
Within a few hours the launch more than 1 400 signatures had been received on the petition.
“There is no money to maintain basic infrastructures, the electricity grid is on meltdown, the Eskom account is in arrears and there are freshwater issues. The road infrastructure is ‘holy’,” Maré said in the petition. “Public services for basic needs according to the integrated development plan are far behind. The dam, bulk water supply is just not happening.
“Schools, clinics and public facilities need maintenance. Mbombela has no public toilets. And yet, the proposal to change names is taking precedence,” said Maré.
“If you are offended by a street name, we as taxpayers (minority in SA), are offended by the way you wastefully spend our money. We say no, no, no!”
Grimbeek said people need to be encouraged to follow the process as indicated on the notices.
“Email the objections/suggestions to that address before the deadline. We must not vent opinions just on social media, but follow the process. “This is how we lost the Nelspruit name change case. Objectors did not turn up at the public hearings. White River’s people did, and the name did not change. Follow the process!” Grimbeek said.
The email address is cebisile.khoza@mbombela.gov.za. Proposals can also be hand-delivered to 7 Jones Street, where the community services department of CoM is situated (for attention Cebisile Khoza).
