Nkobongo councillor accused of lording over access to community hall

Nkobongo residents have accused their ward councillor of blocking access to community facilities, stalling proposed projects like a library and soup kitchen.

At the centre of the grievance is the KwaDukuza Business Forum (KBF), whose members claim they secured sponsorship to establish a library and free Wi-Fi facility at the Nkobongo Community Hall. However, their attempts to lease one of the vacant rooms have reportedly been stalled, with applications said to be unapproved by ward councillor Ali Ngidi.

“We applied for permission to use the hall in 2023 to provide the community with library services and received no response,” said KBF secretary Philani Pityo.

The forum previously ran a similar project at the hall between 2017 and 2021. According to members, while applications must be submitted to the municipality, final approval rests with the ward councillor, a process they say is now obstructing community-driven projects.

Currently, tenants renting space at the hall pay about R156 per month, yet several rooms remain vacant. When the Courier visited the site, a few small enterprises, including a sewing group and a printing service, were operational. One business owner said they were forced to share space after their request for a separate room was denied.

The KBF also claims it was denied access to the hall’s kitchen for a proposed soup kitchen initiative. In an email dated 23 January 2024, Councillor Ngidi responded that another organisation already runs a soup kitchen in Nkobongo and urged the forum to collaborate rather than create “parallel soup kitchens.”

“We co-operated as instructed, supplying them with 800 litres of soup a month. But they operate from a container below the hall with no electricity,” said Pityo.

Another resident, Dan Blose, said he submitted application forms directly to the councillor but never received feedback.

“We just want opportunities to grow and serve the community. The hall should be for everyone, not just a few,” said Blose.

Concerns have also been raised about the unauthorised construction of what appears to be a radio studio in one of the empty rooms. The partially built structure looks unstable and has triggered safety concerns, while questions around who is behind the project remain unanswered.

Councillor Ngidi and the KwaDukuza municipality had not responded at the time of publication.

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