Sheppie bus rank is shocking

MILLIONS of litres of clean drinking water have been left to go to waste in Dick King Road, near the Port Shepstone testing grounds.

Even more concerning was to witness Ugu District Municipality employees driving past this waste and doing nothing.

The Herald has also, in recent weeks, fielded calls about homes and businesses being without water.

Councillor Ajith Rajaram of Ward 17 said he was first alerted to the massive leak when he noticed the Mbango river flowing despite there being no rain.

He then investigated, discovered the leak and immediately reported it, on July 1.

By Monday this week, nothing had been done to fix the problem. And taxi drivers were seen washing their vehicles with the free water.

In a message to Ugu’s municipal manager, DD Naidoo, Cllr Rajaram said that a resident had reported the water leak and although a team had arrived to take a look,  nothing was done and they left.

“Please address the issue of incompetent workers and the call centre not answering calls,” said Mr Rajaram to Mr Naidoo.

Further up the road at the Port Shepstone bus rank, water and sewage flows down the street from the toilets and commuters are forced make their way through litter and filth. Another problem is the many broken manhole and stormwater covers.

Although Hibiscus Coast Municipality  cleaning staff are seen walking in the area, rubbish and grime is everywhere.

“Immediate action is needed and everyone needs to sit down, discuss and address these issues,” said Cllr Rajaram.

He added by-laws are not being enforced and made mention of mechanics who repair their vehicles on street corners and then throw oil down manholes.

HCM spokesman, Simon Soboyisa said the municipality will embark on a robust cleaning campaign which will  on July 14. He said several teams from the Department of Community Services and Department of Human Settlement and Infrastructure will be deployed.

“During this week the clean-up teams will focus on Port Shepstone taxi rank and surrounds which will include cleaning of storm water, fixing of doors, pipes, windows, taps and other things in the building,” he said.

The programme will be continuous and it will also ‘work in cooperation with the street vendors, taxi associations and commuters’.

He said that although there will be these interventions at the Port Shepstone taxi and bus rank, the volume of people accessing the facility make it difficult to maintain the rank through ‘normal working approach’.

“We also appeal for the public to co-operate by not littering,” he said.