Extracts from city of uMhlathuze Exco meeting
Selected items from the 375th Executive Committee meeting of the City of uMhlathuze, held on Tuesday.
An impressive presentation was given of the proposed Ridge development in Richards Bay.
The prime site overlooks the port and waterfront area, with stunning views of Pelican and Naval Islands and the ocean in the background.
The architectural design shows hotel, residential and conservation elements with a pedestrian promenade and shopping features intended to make the Ridge ‘alive’ at night.
All well and good, but at the end of it all the acting chairperson, Deputy Mayor SG Mkhize reminded members this project has been on the agenda since 2011, with no evident time frame or progress.
Clean governance
The untidy appearance of the city needs some urgent attention.
This issue came up during discussions on a number of agenda items.
‘At the provincial ‘Back to Basics’ workshop this was a general trend throughout KZN and as a city that takes pride in ourselves we need to improve our appearance,’ said Cllr Mkhize.
Suggestions to achieve this included a second shift of cleaners who would operate into the early evening.
Use could be made of the Expanded Public Works Programme youths allocated to the city.
Purchase of a ‘vacuum cleaner’ vehicle to clean the streets was seen as a necessity.
Grave situation
The sorry state of cemeteries in and around the city is great cause for concern, especially in Traditional Authority areas.
A number of cemeteries are overgrown and barely accessible, with a real danger of tramping on a snake in the long grass.
And while many are neglected, others have apparently been ‘forgotten’, such as the one located behind Empangeni’s War Memorial Hospital.
On the positive side, the city is in the process of identifying suitable land for a crematorium, which will be a private sector development.
What’s in a name?
A subtle amendment was recommended by Cllr Louis Fourie on an item that referred to the Afrikaans High School in Richards Bay, with a spelling that hinted at impropriety.
Most of the councillors and officials were confused as to his concern, until he explained that the word ‘Hoerskool’, without the double dots (known as the umlaut or diaeresis) above the letter ‘o’, meant something entirely different.
Amid suppressed laughter, Cllr Mkhize thanked Cllr Fourie ‘for educating us’.
Quick building
‘You go to bed at night and the land next to you is empty; you wake up and a house has been built there.’
With a little exaggeration, Cllr Mdu Zikhali expressed his concern at the rapid rate at which illegal structures are mushrooming throughout the city, especially in Mzingazi and Mandlazini.
‘I know it is inhumane to tear them down and leave people homeless, but they are building on land earmarked for development.
‘Something must be done.’
Staff study underway
Preventative maintenance on roads was reported to be hampered by staff shortages.
Questioned on this, Municipal Manager Nhlanhla Sibeko said a work study is in progress to determine where under- and over-staffing might exist.
Re-deployment of staff could also be an option considered before hiring of new personnel.
Throwing stones
The provision of gravel to use in surfacing rural roads was questioned from a number of angles, one of which was the procurement of the gravel, which presently is sourced from Ntambanana despite there being other, closer options available.
The current budget only allows for two kilometres of gravel roads per ward.
Cllr Zikhali sought answers on ‘about 100 loads’ of gravel that has been stockpiled for ages next to the Mzingazi community hall and is tempting passers-by to pilfer it ‘while roads are decaying’.
We built this city
Building statistics for the final quarter of 2016 showed slow growth.
October plans approved:
Dwellings – 3. Cost R1 899 000
Dwellings alterations/extensions – 7. Cost R3 122 000
Commercial – 1. Cost R44 135 000
October buildings completed:
None
November plans approved:
Dwellings – 6. Cost R6 154 000
Dwellings alterations/extensions – 10. Cost R3 717 000
General industrial ext/alt – 1. Cost R4 200 000
Commercial – 1. Cost R1 911 000
November buildings completed:
Dwellings – 5. Cost R2 050 000
December plans approved:
Dwellings – 1. Cost R2 604 000
December buildings completed:
Dwellings – 9. Cost R2 210 000
Commercial alterations – 2. Cost 2 184 000.
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