Stakeholders call for swift solution
The deputy chairperson of the District Board of the CPF, Selvan Chetty, also asked how and why did they get to this state.

The Ratepayers’ Association chairperson of the north cluster, Nazir Shaikh, demanded the resumption of all municipal services immediately at a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Shepstone last Friday.
Shaikh said an urgent solution is sought to remedy the situation in Ray Nkonyeni Municipality.
He said that uncollected refuse is one of the reasons ratepayers are frustrated.
“We have had to take on the task of collecting the refuse ourselves, yet we are paying rates to the municipality. And, worst of all, there is no communication from the municipality to us ratepayers.”
Shaikh said this situation should squarely rest on the municipal manager, Khetha Zulu’s, shoulders because he has been unable to do what needs to be done.
He said communities have suffered enough with electricity issues, where it is believed that the infrastructure was tampered with.
He said people lost some of their goods after Christmas shopping because there was no electricity for days. Shaikh asked if those who lost goods will be compensated.
He also added that if a resident is late with their rates payments, they are charged interest; however, they continue to pay their rates even when there is no service delivery.
The CEO of the Port Shepstone Business Forum, Vijay Naidoo, said it was very disturbing that the municipality had no plans to restore the electricity after it was first tampered with.
“I believe that this is what caused a lot of stress because businesses had a lot to lose.”
Naidoo said that the workers’ problem did not start now, and the question is why it was not attended to with a sense of urgency.

The deputy chairperson of the District Board of the CPF, Selvan Chetty, also asked how and why they got to this state.
Chetty asked if the municipality even attended to the questions that were being asked and if the workers’ grievances were looked at before the strike.
“This was turned into politics instead of administration and could have been avoided. We are aware that there is a person who wants to see this municipality fall.”
Chetty acknowledged the workers’ anger and protests but implied that someone is instigating violence.
Ugu District Commissioner General Sethenya Nxamangele from Port Shepstone Saps said that she has been unable to do some of her police work because she has to attend to the protest.
She said that every day, she has to send Public Order Policing members to RNM to monitor protesters.
“Sending out some of my members means that there would be less staff, and that opens a gap for criminals to do as they please.”
Nxamangele said that the RNM protest has impacted Saps negatively.
To date, the workers have not returned to work.

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