Help for Kuyga’s jobless urged

NELSON Mandela Bay municipal officials were given a tongue-lashing at the final round of scheduled mayoral imbizos last week.

At the meeting at the Kuyga Community Hall, they were in the firing line over high rates of unemployment and the prevalence of disease and teenage pregnancy

Jobless Ntombikayise Manto, 21, asked what was being done to ensure young people in Ward 40 were occupied constructively.

Addressing Bay mayor Danny Jordaan directly, Manto said the area was plagued by high rates of HIV, TB and teenage pregnancy.

“I’m sad, Mr Mayor, because I’m still living in the apartheid era, while I’m a young person and supposed to be a born-free,” Manto said.

“We don’t work and [we] spend all our time having sex . . . we are dying,” she said.

To loud applause, Manto laid into municipal officials, saying if they could not do their jobs, they should step down.

“We are made to beg for services but we pay tax and are entitled to them,” she said.

Moments before, fellow resident Estelle Williams complained that residents were in the dark about a lot of things happening as there were no loud-hailers to notify them.

Dissatisfaction around housing and rectification, small business participation in projects, unemployment and electricity problems were also raised.

Last Tuesday’s meeting, held on a rainy day, was mostly attended by Kuyga residents, as transport meant to collect people from other areas did not arrive.

Jordaan apologised for that and said another meeting would be scheduled to address all residents of Ward 40.

He also asked his staff to set up a meeting with Manto and Williams at City Hall this week.

“When we come back, we will respond to all issues raised here – housing, rectification, bulk infrastructure etc,” Jordaan said.

“If anyone tells you there’s no budget, there’s no such thing.

“We are here and we have to provide those houses and services,” Jordaan said, to applause.

He also invited members of the Kuyga community to Small Business Minister Lindiwe Zulu’s engagement at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tomorrow.