PIET MARAIS
Ndlambe Mayor Khululwa Ncamiso brought in her strongest management squad to answer to residents in the Bushmans River Mouth hall, who were frustrated over a lack of service delivery and representation. After a scuppered integrated development plan (IDP) consultation meeting earlier this month (TOTT, 22 May 2025) Ncamiso promised to bring in the management team to account and answer questions.
The team included municipal manager Rolly Dumezweni, IDP manager Rene Uren, Deputy Director Community Protection Services Fanie Fouché, infrastructure deputy director Thulani Maluleke, Nombulelo Booysen-Willy, CPS director and CFO Michael Klaas.
Uren distributed a list of 37 general, financial and tourism related public comments with comments from directors and municipal management on how they would be responding to them, with reference to the budget.
The directors answered every point in depth leaving residents and their representatives confident that there had been progress had been mde. Jaques de Wit, BRAGG committee member and Justin Wilmot, Kenton/Bushman’s Chamber of Business and Tourism board member, expressed their appreciation to Ncamiso and the management team. “I always find it fascinating how people can actually get together, sit in a room and find solutions like we have done here,” Wilmot told Ncamiso. “Thank you, and thank you for bringing all your officials to join us in search of solutions.”
The new approach to IDP consultations is to make them ward-based, with the intention of paying closer attention to local conditions.
Key issues identified in public comments on the IDP included:
* IDP & Service Delivery Budget Model: Concerns about the current dysfunctional service delivery model and recommendations for alternative means of service delivery.
* Ward Committee: Dysfunctional ward committee system and suggestions for appointing councillors who can effectively liaise with the public.
* Budget: Issues with a single combined budget and requests for ward-specific budget allocations for towns/villages.
* Flood water Infrastructure: Lack of implementation of an approved floodwater strategic plan and need for preventative maintenance and budget allocation.
* Storm Water Drainage & Road Infrastructure: Inadequate storm water drainage, poor road maintenance, and requests for urgent inclusion of plans and budgets for improvements.
* General Upkeep of Bushmans Village: Problems with uncleared vacant plots, unmaintained overhanging trees, and suggestions for Ndlambe to request plot owners to clear stands and monitor compliance.
* Public Ablution Facilities – BRM: Issues with temporary ablutions and demolished ablution foundations, with recommendations for removal and proper temporary facilities.
* Road Signs and Street Markings: Missing, vandalized, or faded road signs and inadequate white line painting, with requests for surveys, regular painting, and replacement of signs.
* Gabion Wall: Eroding and dangerous gabion wall, with recommendations for replacement and inclusion of assessment and corrective action in the IDP and budget.
* Streetlights: Inadequate streetlights posing a security threat, with requests for new installations and a quarterly maintenance plan.
* BRM Slipway Car Park & Jetty & Boat Launch: Heavily used but eroded parking area, and overcrowded and damaged jetty/boat launch, with recommendations for repairs and upgrades.
* Area Beach Parking Infrastructure: Inaccessible beach parking due to dune coverage, requiring inclusion in IDP and budget.
*Tow Path (Riverside) Infrastructure: Unsafe surface of the Tog Path, requiring repair and maintenance.
* Environmental Community Matters – Estuary: Numerous environmental violations, lack of an Estuary Management Plan, and suggestions for eliminating violations and controlling bait collection and alien vegetation.
* Klipfontein Lookout Point Access: Inaccessible lookout point due to road deterioration, requiring repair of the access road.
* Water Infrastructure: Ongoing water issues, old pipes, poor storage, and inadequate mapping, with recommendations for replacing asbestos pipes and budgeting for water storage.
* Sanitation Infrastructure: No master plan, poor green drop score, and overflowing pumps, with requests for a sanitation master plan and upgrading pumps.
* Waste Management: No Waste Master Plan, no formal site, and issues with children scavenging from skips, with recommendations for developing a Waste Master Plan and establishing a secure transfer station.
* Safety and Security: Low Ndlambe capacity, dogs, barges, noise, boats, cattle, fencing, and trailer storage problems, with requests for revising bylaws and appointing more officers.
* Riversbend Industrial Area: Untarred roads, poor drainage and security, stench from waste/sewer, and illegal dumping, with recommendations for tarring roads and improving drainage.
The document also includes public comments from the Sunshine Coast Business & Tourism, covering topics like welcome signage, pavement repair, public beach facilities, capital budget allocation, CBD parking and toilets, tourism recognition in IDP, sewerage treatment plant upgrades, road maintenance, and public facility upgrades.
-
This article was first published in Talk of the Town, June 19, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
