The recent South African Local Government Association (Salga) National Members Assembly considered its 2010/2011 business plan and budget as well as addressing service delivery, Salga governance, and the Local Government Turn Around Strategy.
The recent South African Local Government Association (Salga) National Members Assembly considered its 2010/2011 business plan and budget as well as addressing service delivery, Salga governance, and the Local Government Turn Around Strategy.
During the Salga meeting, the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sicelo Shiceka, reportedly informed the delegates that he had signed a performance agreement with President Jacob Zuma in which local government is expected to deliver basic services to all citizens by 2014.
But implementing this plan on the Makana front is unlikely to happen for all its citizens, says Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana.
“Given the realities and the current situation which we are faced with” such as bringing clean water to all households during a drought “makes it unlikely that this plan will go forward”.
“What is guiding us is that there is a municipal 2014 strategy plan that is achieving those goals and is moving at a high speed.”
He said that the municipality has made attempts to bridge the economic gap between Grahamstown east and west and that there is significant infrastructural development taking place, especially in the township.
As the maintenance budget has gone up by about 200%, they are able to look into upgrading the aging infrastructure. “Looking at water and electricity services, we have made a commitment to seek a loan fund in the next financial year to address water reticulation.
Recent experience has told us that the current infrastructure is not coping and therefore a new one will be set up completely.”
He added that the water treatment works will also be looked into. “We are meeting the Millennium Development goals making sure that rural areas get clean water by setting up water tanks where water will
be taken from Grahamstown [and diverted]to the rural areas as well as rolling out a dry sanitation system.”
The first area to receive this dry sanitation system will be the Collingham area and reticulated systems will be set up in the Seven Fountains district.
According to Lwana, a tender has already been sent out to work on the water treatment plant in Alicedale as there has always been a problems associated with spillages.
The water services in Riebeeck East will also be inspected. The mayor says that the eradication of the bucket toilet system in Extension 6 and a small portion of Grahamstown North is going strong, where about 50% of the work is already complete.
A project is in process in Transit Camp where – thorough negotiations with the housing department – the low cost houses will now have two walls plastered on the outside and inside and have a ceiling, shower, roof, tiles and gutters installed.
Also, the temporary Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) toilets that were installed in parts of Extension 6 and Hlalani will be removed and replaced with flush toilets.
“Taking into account that we are a water scarce country, it is important to have an integrated water services approach, which is why we talk about treatment works, water reservoirs and water harvesting.
We are appealing to people to put in rainwater tanks and harvest rainwater from their gutters.” Starting from Extension 9 through to Hoogenoeg, Lwana mentioned that they will be breaking new ground with building around 1 600 low cost houses which will be more upmarket than the existing low cost housing in Grahamstown as well as giving people an option to purchase plots in the same area to build their own houses.
“This area will be sought after,” Lwana predicts. The establishment of electricity has been received by identified areas such as Lower Xolani, Alicedale and the Emnandi area in Ward 7 and more areas in Grahamstown will be targeted for electricity, water and sanitation services.
Lwana briefly spoke about the provincialisation of primary healthcare which he says is in its advanced stage. “Underfunding leaves us with no option,” and that it is comforting that the transfer of staff will be easy.
However, the provincialisation of libraries is another matter. “Although we do have reservations, we still have grey areas as far as libraries are involved.”
