Letter: Blinded by political mischief

Former Dolphin Coast councillor Ian Coates writes:

In response to Osborne Gwamanda’s letter (A Baseless Argument, Courier March 26) I welcome your response to my heartfelt concerns regarding the Siza Water and sanitation concession upon expiration in 2028.

Despite the racist conclusions that you have drawn about me, I forgive you.

I can understand that your perspectives have been blinded by the blanketing fog of political mischief so sadly pervasive today.

My inputs about that “First in South Africa successful service concession” had nothing whatsoever to do with ‘White Capital’ or racism or privilege, but arose from a desire to see a genuinely world-class service, for all of the residents of Ballito, Compensation, Shaka’s Head, Umhlali, Sheffield, Salt Rock and Shakaskraal, (then in 1994-2000, not part of KwaDukuza or Ilembe), irrespective of race.

You have asked for an expansion of the facts: Perhaps you might read the letter to Courier from former councillors Trevor Thompson, Feisal Dawood (February 26) and myself that explained the birth of that ANC government-supported and DBSA-funded concession for the benefit of all residents of what was then the Dolphin Coast Transitional Authority (i.e., before the formation of either KwaDukuza or Ilembe DM).

Development of the concession derived from the already-failed services of the North Coast Regional Water Services Corporation (NCRWSC).

Stanger and surrounds fell outside the boundary of that NCRWSC operation and was considered self-sufficient at the time.

The concession idea grew out of a review by the then Municipal Infrastructure Investment Unit of the DBSA.

Our plea for help was brought to Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal to address the crises arising on the KZN North Coast and at Nelspruit (Mbombela).

Cllrs Dawood (Shakaskraal), Thompson (Umhlali) and myself (Ballito-Salt Rock) drove a several-year-long process focused on proper servicing for all the areas within our jurisdiction.

We did not have access to the hundreds of millions of Rands needed to replace and restore the existing broken infrastructures inherited!

The exclusion of areas beyond the former Dolphin Coast lay not with the concessionaires (whose investors and representatives eagerly wanted to expand north).

The constraint was undoubtedly bolstered by stubbornness and a political “not-invented-here” mentality and crass lack of foresight at what was then Stanger.

From 2003-2005, I served at Ilembe to steer their attitude towards the concession positively – to no avail!

The limitation of the concession was very clearly political and was not concession-service constrained, in my opinion; not by any unwillingness on the part of Siza concession holders.

The “too black and too poor” comment from Mr Gwamanda is uncalled-for. His analysis derives sadly from his presumptuous lack of knowledge or understanding of me as an individual.

Infrastructure and service concessions have worked so well in most former Francophone West Africa environs for many years.

Public-private partnership concessions are here now, in South Africa, since 1998, at the behest and active support of the ANC national government.

Had we maintained the “Pre 1994 Apartheid status quo” of already-failed service delivery, all of us in the Dolphin Coast would be wallowing in raw sewage.

There would undoubtedly have been none or very few of the explosive North Coast private-sector commercial developments.

Those have created many permanent jobs for so many.

Oh, and by the way, I do not live in an air-conditioned palace. I am resident in a retirement single-roomed and humble apartment.

I welcome any opportunity to introduce Mr Gwamanda to meet with Messrs Thompson, Dawood and myself.

This offer is made to help him gain a more appreciative and truthful understanding of this concession and its realistic concepts.

He may contact me through the editor of the Courier.

Letter shortened – Editor.