By Dideka Njemla
In a quest for improved service delivery, residents of Makhanda gathered at the Crown Hall on Albany Road to express their concerns and uncertainties regarding the new smart water meters that the Makana Municipality is installing in and around the town. Despite the blackout that evening, the community joined in solidarity, lighting the hall with torches and flashing phones. Ward 4 community members expressed dissatisfaction with the Municipality over the continuous and severe infringement of one of the most fundamental human rights – access to water – that has been ongoing for several years.
On Monday, Ward 4 residents were given the platform to engage in open dialogue, facilitated by Lungile Mxube of the Makana Citizens Front, while the Democratic Alliance’s Ward 4 councillor, Geoff Embling, responded to all questions raised by attendees. Embling emphasised that, though officials such as himself, Mxube and Sakh’ikhaya contractor representatives were present, the people who were equipped with the necessary information – Makana Municipality – were not in attendance.
Jared Peters, a representative from the service provider, Sakh’ikhaya Construction, said they will only resume the rollout of smart water meters once the matter is settled. He noted that Sakh’ikhaya will not continue until residents approve the project and permit them to work in their neighbourhood. “We are willing to cooperate. We are happy to proceed whenever the citizens are ready to allow us. We want to remain transparent with residents,” he said.
Towards the end of the meeting, Mxube read a memorandum of demands that accumulated the community’s concerns and highlighted key issues. Mxube stated that the coloured areas of Makhanda have been marginalised and neglected for a long time. Disruptive residents began to demand immediate intervention from the Makana Municipality, asserting that they [residents]have been patient for an unreasonably long time with the Municipality. Community members expressed that the smart water meter installation may be a premature response to a serious issue affecting residents’ livelihoods.
Speaking to Grocott’s, Embling stated he wasn’t responsible for initiating the meeting, but attended to listen to public concerns. “The people protested and said they want service delivery before they have the water meters installed. The management doesn’t want to respond to our problems; if they had, then the residents might not have had this meeting.” Embling further said that concentrating on fixing Makhanda’s water leaks would have been a better solution to the town’s water crisis.
Grocott’s Mail requested commentary from the Municipality for an official comment, but no response was provided by the time of publication.
