Ward 9 residents finally receive lights and toilets

Ward 9 Councillor, Cyril Ngema, has been working hard to improve conditions in his ward, and says he has completed many service delivery programmes in the oSizweni area.

“Right now, we are busy with delivering VIP toilets in the Inverness Farm Area, where 175 toilets have already been supplied to different households.

This is a three year programme, that is in its second year. We have targeted three areas in this project, namely KwaMhlaba, Flathela and Fairview.”

The ward committee is also currently busy with the installation of street lights and related infrastructure.

“In oSizweni Section D, we are working on putting up high-mast lights, because people in that area people had been previously neglected.”

He added the committee is currently busy with a big road project.

“In Section D, we are also busy doing light-grading on some of the roads. In particular, there’s a R4-million road project that is about to begin on the OE41 oSizweni road, that’s close to oSizweni High School, and connects to Longhomes.

We are about to contract workers to begin the work there. Another road in Longhomes is in the process of being repaired. In that area, especially with this constant rain, we have not been able to begin the work because there were electricity wires that are in the ground and that is dangerous, and maintenance needs to be done there.

We spoke to Eskom about the matter and they directed us to the municipality, while the municipality was pointing us back to Eskom. This situation is a challenge.”

Cllr Ngema said they have begun a housing project that had opposition party members meddle in one of the projects.

“Last year in December we began our Phase 3 Housing Project and have built 35 houses in the Section E, also called Skwatta Camp.

We had a problem in the Skopas Area, where people were being removed, but coming back because of land complications in that area.

“We are trying to find a resolution for that situation. We also had some [opposition party] members forcefully trying to occupy open land next to oSizweni High School.

“We don’t have time to fight that, because these people know they are occupying the space illegally, and police will be monitoring that area.”

He also claims to have addressed the unemployment issue.

“With unemployment in our ward, we were able to place about 40 people in the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), that is aimed at giving unemployed youth short-term work so that they can earn some money. We try to identify impoverished families in the area and help them in this way.”

Cllr Ngema has also highlighted problems with rates payments.

“The challenge we face is that although there are a lot of people in our area, many are not paying rates and then expect the municipality to deliver services. We have a huge problem with Section D in that regard.
We also have a problem with foreign shop owners in oSizweni as they have people renting them backrooms but they don’t want to pay any rates, which they should be paying to the municipality.”

The councillor added that the drug-plague has been destroying some of the schools in the ward.

“We have a drug-infestation probem in some of our schools, including Khethukuthula High School, oSizweni High School, Inverness Primary School and Thembinkosi Primary School. These four schools have learners who are drug users. We have a problem of parents neglecting their children. They are not checking what their children are getting up to. We have however, done drug-awareness programmes in these schools, and encourage the learners to strive for a better future for themselves.”

Cllr Ngema has cited there is a growing concern about child-headed homes in oSizweni.

“The biggest problem I think in our ward is the child-headed household. You find quite a few homes that are run by minors. Either parents or guardians have passed on or they are just nowhere to be seen. We do try to help and put some of the children in the EPWP programme, and currently look for other ways to help them in their daily struggle,” Cllr Ngema concluded.

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