DEAR Editor,-
After spending some considerable time and effort in an endeavour to have the totally unacceptable pothole situation on the South Coast addressed, I came up with names of various interested and/or responsible persons, which were either residents or committees formed of residents and municipal officials.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Potholes: ‘Shunted from pillar to post’
I failed to get very far, so I advertised for able residents to assist in performing these repairs in Umtentweni. I received a number of emails from willing residents who wanted to contribute financially, but were not in a position to assist physically.
In an effort to keep on the right side of the law and of ethics, I emailed MC Damoyi, senior official at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, who replied that Musa Mnguni was the acting head of road maintenance and I managed to secure a meeting with him.
The meeting was quite informative, but I felt I was very rudely received and the only welcome came from the woman who kindly took me to the correct office. The incumbent, a public servant, couldn’t be bothered (lacked the manners) to even stand up and introduce himself. Arrogant perhaps?
In there we were accompanied by, I think, an auditor, who was continually allowed to interrupt the meeting – if you can call it that.
This took place in August and September and during this time I attended a few local ratepayers’ meetings where the subject and some professional information was given. At no time did I receive much enthusiasm from the ratepayers’ committee, which, with an attendance of only two to three percent of residents, is self-explanatory.
I was given schedules of planned road maintenance in the Hibberdene to Port Shepstone areas over the past couple of years by one of the more active ward councillors. Then to my utter but pleasant surprise, a contractor’s team arrived and began repairing potholes in my street and others. Why on earth was I kept in the dark? Why on earth do these repairs not feature in the planned schedules mentioned above? Not even close.
Now armed with the above disinformation, I decided to keep a very low profile and concentrate on other things. However, and this is very relative, some of the very recent repairs are already disintegrating and some of us foresaw this for two reasons:
1) there is little or no apparent supervision to pothole repairs, and
2) the depth of the repairs and the correct compacting and asphalt-laying seems far too shallow.
Cost saving? Shortcuts? A way to create continuity for greedy contractors and officials? Unless we give a concerted and loud objection and insist on answers, we will continue to receive sub-standard results.
I won’t at this juncture comment on the recent water debacle.
NEIL WHITEHEAD
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
