‘No problem’ becomes no action on washaways
The latest word from Cllr Beetge is the city manager finally signed off the project on Thursday, 8 September.
Frustrations are running high after continued failure to solicit a decision from the city manager’s office for repairs to commence on three disaster-related projects that occurred in Amanzimtoti after the July floods.
Despite council agreeing to extend the disaster emergency fund by several million rand in an emergency meeting on Monday, 22 August, repairs on the projects are yet to commence.
The three projects are the washaway at the southern end of Mayville Terrace (ward 97), a private residence on the first dune along Kingsway towards Athlone Park (ward 93) and Tiger Rocks Road in Isipingo (ward 90).”
“The city manager is just not available in his office – he seems to be moving from event to event at the side of either the mayor or deputy mayor to popularise the new administration,” said ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge. “I confronted him at a magazine launch in Durban on Thursday evening (1 September) and verbally requested him to sign off on the repairs on Friday.
“‘No problem’ however, became ‘no action’ as come Monday, nothing was done.”
A visit to 706 Kingsway on Sunday revealed the washaway had increased with another section of the northern boundary caving in on Saturday.
Irrespective of a daily newspaper running a front page article on the matter on Monday and engineering confirming they were verbally told it would be signed on Tuesday and again hand delivering a copy of their report and letters of award (LOA) to the city manager’s office, on Wednesday morning nothinghad transpired.
“On Wednesday morning, 7 September I confirmed with the deputy city manager of finance that funding was actually allocated more than a week ago, I again communicated with the city manager’s office, only to be told that the report was sent to the chairman of the human settlements committee, whereafter he would sign the LOA. This at more and more cost to the ratepayer.”
The latest word from Cllr Beetge is the city manager finally signed off the project on Thursday, 8 September.
