Protests stymie service delivery in Nelson Mandela Bay

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Protest action in several areas Nelson Mandela Bay had led to the municipality's Human Settlement's Directorate failing to meet its target for the provision of water and sanitation in the third quarter of the last financial year.

According to a report to the Human Settlement's standing committee, protests in Walmer, Motherwell and Missionvale, resulted in contractors being forced to leave those areas.

The report states that 2 743 erven were provided with water and sanitation against a target of 3 000.

It notes further that the municipality has developed “an intervention plan to address the challenges in these hotspot areas.

The reports goes on to say that other reasons for the failure of the Directorate to meet the target "were a protracted legal challenge that had delayed implementation and the fact that electricity poles and shacks were obstructing construction in Missionvale."

"With regard to the fact that only 1 682 low-cost houses were built against a target of 3 600, the Directorate says that was due to “delayed payments to the municipality by the provincial Department of Human Settlements."

This meant the Metro could not pay contractors on time which "eventually delayed implementation."

(Source: Metro Minute - to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)