MM promises chamber action will commence

Immediate action again followed the Komatipoort Business Chamber’s (KBC) letter of demand of February 7, which was hand delivered to the offices of the municipal manager and mayor.
In the letter the chamber made it clear that it will invite private intervention and resort to higher levels of governance if further ignored. The chamber invited the municipal manager (MM), Daniel Ngwenya, and mayor, Johan Mkhatshwa, to a public meeting during which they can address the community regarding the current state of infrastructure and services in Komatipoort. The proposed date for this meeting is February 27. Corridor Gazette is in possession of a copy of the letter.

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The KBC’s letter was strongly worded, stating that “the requests from organised business and the residents to, at own cost, install cat eyes, repair roads, fill potholes, introduce signage, were categorically declined and we were assured that Nkomazi Local Municipality (NLM) would attend to all of these”, implying that that the chamber will continue to do the same if ignored by the municipality.

The letter ended with a fair warning that should NLM not reply or elect not to attend the meeting, the proposed public meeting would proceed without the municipality, and the community will be left to conclude the significance of the municipality’s failure to provide answers and its continued ignorance.
If not, KBC chairperson Jan Engelbrecht explained, the precedence in law dictates that the chamber or community must inform the municipality of where the chamber shall take private action, and first give the municipality the opportunity to do so, and then do it. “We have done all of that, in as far as the road signage, the marking of the roads and filling of potholes are concerned,” the KBC said.

Ngwenya and Elvis Zitha, deputy director of the technical division, visited Komatipoort on Tuesday February 11, in response to the letter received from the KBC.
With John and Caroline O’Reilly and Engelbrecht, they visited all the critical areas as well as other areas of interest mentioned in the chamber’s letter. Critical matters mentioned include the water pump upgrade, marking of the main entrance road into Komatipoort, the road surfaces, the need for by-law enforcement, integrity of the electricity network, traffic calming, the space identified years ago already for hawkers and taxi usage, the initiated parkrun, a facility for social services, the refuse transfer station as well as other initiatives.
The KBC took Ngwenya to all the critical areas to personally assess the scope of the demand. The following roads were inspected: Bourhill, Wildebeest, Ibis, Rietbok and Nyala.
Ngwenya admitted that these roads and portions of Crocodile and other roads are beyond patching and need to be reconstructed.

The delegation also visited the requested and proposed parkrun area and the redundant house in Impala Street, which were identified as a possible station for charity activities.
While visiting the suction point in the Komati River, a consultant of NLM responsible for water pumps was on site. He inspected the existing systems and recommended a change of pipes as well as the addition of a second pump and motor. These items were ordered while the site visit continued.

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The site visit was followed by a constructive discussion during which all was noted and municipal management committed to take action as soon as possible within the existing budget and financial constraints.
Ngwenya indicated during the visit that the full council will visit Komatipoort. This is earmarked to happen within the next two weeks. All the matters put before the NLM will be compiled in a summary format and again be handed by the chamber to the municipality. After the promised site visit by the full council, the MM promised that action will commence, much more than the pump station upgrade, which has already been commissioned.
John’s previous experience taught them that the community does not readily contribute to paying and doing the work, though they do cheer such initiatives. “This was the case previously when O’Reilly had a team repairing certain roads in an effort to improve some of the infrastructure.”

Engelbrecht confirmed that John ended up doing most of that at his own costs, but in as far as what had been put before council by the KBC, costs have been well computed. The marking of the main road had already been properly prepared by the chamber, as it involved a local road construction consultant, and the private sector can move in immediately.

As for the damaged roads, those mentioned, reconstruction by municipality remains the preferred option, as they are in a terrible condition. Tax money should be appropriated for that. Rebuilding a road is expensive and should be done properly. “We would rather request a court mandamus to compel municipal delivery,” said Engelbrecht.
The chamber alliance, Nkomazi Business Alliance, last year already invited and introduced the city improvement district, or CID, as a solution to town maintenance matters. This matter is far advanced and, following the LED meetings this week, the subject will go to council.

This mechanism is the best available legal way to combine private initiative and municipal delivery. Expertise is involved to assist in the establishment of these structures – also in Komatipoort.
From founding the Taxpayers’ Association in 2016, to the continued efforts of NECCTA, then the affiliation to Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism and now the forming of the business alliance, the KBC has little doubt that a CID is the best solution to address local shortcomings. This will also be discussed with the community on March 3. The meeting is at 17:00 at Kambuku Golf Club.

Engelbrecht and John expressed the hope that, by then, the interim chamber shall have more formal commitments from and action by the municipality. The meeting will well inform all of what has happened.
Corridor Gazette will keep its readers informed.