Crime sees NMB event scrapped

WHAT was meant to be a proud moment for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality yesterday quickly turned sour when a sod- turning event to mark the start of the long-awaited facelift to New Brighton's Mendi bottle store had to be cancelled due to rampant crime in the area.

Contractors Leungo Construction/Star Time Trading, which moved on site two months ago, have been rocked by three robberies at gunpoint.

The thugs made off with workers' cellphones, laptops and heavy construction equipment.

The historical Mendi building is set to be transformed into a multipurpose cultural centre at a cost of R21.5-million.

It has been in the pipeline for the past 15 years.

Yesterday, Bay councillors were supposed to hold the official sod-turning ceremony for the project, but it was cancelled at the eleventh hour because the construction workers were not on site.

Municipal spokesman Mthu- banzi Mniki said the firm's equipment had been cleaned out and that workers had been afraid to return to the site.

"The ward councillor will be working with the contractors to get the community involved through community policing forums. The municipality's safety and security department will also get involved to secure the site.

"We also need to get the police involved," Mniki said.

"Once all the safety concerns have been resolved, we will reschedule the sod-turning event." - Rochelle de Kock