KDM “a victim of its own success”

A lack of correct information and people stirring political unrest to further their own agendas in the run-up to the local government elections in August is being blamed for the recent wave of violent protests in KwaDukuza.

With KDM offices being flooded with queries regarding the ongoing service delivery protests dotted across the region, KDM mayor Ricardo Mthembu called a media briefing on Thursday, April 28 to clarify Council’s position on the current turmoil.

“Violent protests cannot bring about change. I want to make it clear that it is wrong for our community to burn and destroy public infrastructure, as it is their money and also their assets,” said Mthembu.

He said protests were costly and posed a threat to personal security, slowed down the economy, disrupted education, and, while ongoing, denied people access to primary healthcare and emergency services.

“If a house is on fire and the road is blocked by protesters, firefighters cannot get to the house to put out the fire and ambulances cannot get to patients to save their lives,” he said.

Mthembu acknowledged the rights of the people to protest peacefully but said the rights of other citizens had to be respected.

“It is wrong to stone other people’s cars and prevent people from going to work. The economy is struggling and by keeping people from going to work, they become the first in line to be retrenched when struggling companies are forced to shed jobs.”

Mthembu highlighted human settlement issues successfully addressed since 2011 and said “KDM is a victim of its own success”.

He believed the people saw RDP houses going up all over the municipality and became angry because they could not wait for their own houses to be built.

The mayor said the rapid development of the Ballito node and the accompanying job creation along with the number of ongoing RDP housing projects, attracted people from all over the province to KDM, increasing the demand for housing.

“Just because projects were delayed does not mean promises have been broken.”

He attributed the delay in most housing projects to Ilembe district municipality (IDM) being unable to keep up with KDM’s speed.

This was because the area’s water authority, IDM, first had to lay bulk water-borne sewerage infrastructure (for flushing toilets) before KDM could go ahead with construction.

However, since funding of these capital projects was limited, IDM have agreed that pit toilets could be used as a temporary solution so that KDM could go ahead with building houses.

Mthembu said illegal invasion of expropriated land earmarked for RDP houses also delayed housing projects and said Council would become tough with those culprits.

He said KDM was prepared to go to the High court to get court orders to stop construction of illegal homes and even demolish them as well as cut off electricity and other services.

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