Street lights
A TOTAL of 198 street lights were found faulty along the main arterial route between Winklespruit and Inyoni Rocks Crescent during an inspection of the evening of 24 May.
While some have been repaired, others have become faulty again and not least in areas noted for criminal and other questionable activities such as Beach and Commercial roads in the old CBD.
Cllr André Beetge confirmed they suspect deliberate interference by third parties to render the lights dysfunctional thus cloaking their nocturnal activities.
While the matter is under investigation, residents are encouraged to continue reporting faulty street lights and traffic signals to the electricity call centre on
080 131 3111.
Invader alien species control programme (IASC) Beetge confirmed that his office is being inundated by inquiries from residents expressing concern regarding bush and brush clearing along St Gabriel Road in Warner Beach.
“Residents can rest assured that their speculation of land invasion and low cost housing development is totally unfounded. The programme is actually one of three in the city that was initiated by the municipality's environmental planning and climate protection department and facilitated by WESSA, that aims to cut and control alien invader species,” said Beetge.
He said the three-year programme, extending 50ha, started along St Gabriel south of the N2 and will continue to the first houses, then it will cut across and behind the Kingsburgh Water Treatment Works.
“Cuttings will be left as they fall being that the programme does not extend a permit to move bio mess," said Beetge.
Recent storm, and beaches The weekend of 7 and 8 May was noted for the most rain in a 24-hour period since 1971, but with a difference. In 1971 the population was approximately 30% of what it is today and containers were either glass, waxed cardboard or paper; informal settlements were unheard of and our local rivers were known for their “sweet waters”.
Today virtually everything comes packed in non-bio degradable plastic, settlements in crouch river banks and the very rivers have become nothing but a means of waste disposal for domestic and human waste.
This remains evident in the estimated 100m3 of waste that was washed onto our beaches (and that continues to arrive on a southern current) that now needs to be dispersed by a limited number of municipal employees, who remain starved for resources by their political masters.
Political infighting, jobs for pals and awarding of tenders beyond capability has resulted in a shortage of vehicles, refuse bags, staff and other resources required to address what should be classified a disaster - for as rubbish washes out along the beaches, much of it remains in the ocean where it threatens marine life and ecosystems.
Following an inspection from Isipingo to Umkomaas on Monday morning 9 May, beach management prioritised bathing beaches starting with the Inyoni Rocks main beach down towards Winklespruit and Illovo as their point of departure with attention towards non-bathing beaches from Dakota down being cleaned thereafter.
Residents will note that while some of the rubbish has been removed, staff are also piling and sorting organic and non-organic matter above the high-water mark for later disposal and to alleviate rubbish being pulled into the sea at high tide. While organic matter could be used in dune rehabilitation, residents are encouraged to assist in the removal of plastics and other articles to recycling institutions or landfill sites.
“This disaster is not something we can just leave up to the officials to address - it is something that impacts each of our lives, our town and our environment and while I applaud the local management for their initiative, we should all be assisting by putting our weight behind organisations such as the conservancy, thus ensuring the situation gets back to normal as quickly as possible,” said Beetge.
Roads and stormwater department Have you been wondering why there are suddenly so many potholes all over town? Why the road markings aren't refreshed and/or completed? Why the wash down after the storm has not been cleared away? Why the stormwater drains are blocked? Why damaged drains are not being replaced? Why there are suddenly no yellow roads department vehicles noticed on the streets?
“Wonder no further," said Beetge.
“The city's 25 roads department depots have all of their vehicles parked in the depots as they are unable to go out to work. Employees find their lives threatened by the Umlazi based Amadelangokubona Business Forum and MK military veterans who are demanding to be awarded municipal contracts, yet also demanding that the city supply them with vehicles to do the contracts, being that they are lacking the necessary start-up capital.”
While the city remains torn apart by political rivalry leading up to the local government election and the city manager is unable to take a stand lest it provoke a reaction, residents are being deprived service delivery, at cost to an already fragile and ageing road infrastructure as failing to take timeous action, it will inevitably lead to more damage and increased reinstatement cost.
