Service delivery woes leave Ward 58 in filth
Being the only ward to have an international airport, it should be taken better care of
The residents of ward 58 (including Tongaat, Umdloti, Canelands and Westbrook) are fed up with eThekweni Metro’s failure to solve their litter and service delivery problems.
DA councillor Geoff Pullan said being the only ward to have an international airport, it should be taken better care of.
“There are places that are filthy. We had a policy in place called the extended public works programme (EPWP) where people from the ward were employed to pick up rubbish.
“The city has now changed this policy and people from outside the ward are being hired. This affects local job creation and more money is being spent on transportation costs to get the people there.”
The residents’ concerns were voiced during a budget hearing last Sunday. Some of their other worries were the lack of speed humps, the poor supply of water to rural areas and the lack of clinics.
Pullan said the metro’s budget raised some concerns, especially regarding the water tariff increase.
“I think that it might be positive that the water tariff has increased to 13 per cent. People will maybe start using water wisely. The budget itself is not going to be enough for service delivery, which is always a problem.
“The total budget sits at R45 billion. The main expenditure types are bulk purchases at 33.4 per cent, employee costs at 30 per cent and contracted services at 14.8 per cent. The main income sources are electricity sales, transfers from capital and water sales which amount to 82 per cent.”
However, Pullan said the budget presentation was attended mostly by those that do not contribute but rather by those who consume.
“These meetings are held for the community to listen to the budget presentation and voice their concerns. More ratepayers need to attend these meetings.”
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