Bay cleaning project to finally start

More than four months after it was meant to have started, a R5.8m cleaning and greening project will finally begin after council gave the green light. 

The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality will start clearing illegal dumping sites and general cleansing operations across the metro, in mid-March after a motion to have the delayed project  kick off  immediately, was given the thumbs up.

The cleaning and greening project would have created 200 temporary jobs between November and January.

The move was intended for clearing of illegal dumping sites, litter-picking, bush-clearing removal of bulk waste and creating awareness around litter problems.

The motion was tabled by ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom and seconded by DA councillor Georgina Faldtman.

While the motion was supported by the DA and the EFF, it was rejected by the ANC and its coalition partners.

The project was meant to kick in on October 1, however, public health portfolio head Yolisa Pali withdrew the item twice in the mayoral committee,  claiming it lacked information.

In a desperate attempt to ensure that  the project finally got going, acting executive director Tsietsi Mokonenyane wrote to then acting city manager. Noxolo Nqwazi, asking that she intervene in the matter.

Deterioration in cleanliness

Presenting his motion to council Grootboom, who is the former public health portfolio chairman, said cleanliness standards in Port Elizabeth's townships, Uitenhage and northern areas had deteriorated as a result of the delays.

“Due to the increased level of waste during the festive season, illegal dumping has increased in the various areas.

“This will have serious health and environmental impacts on the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay if not cleared,” Grootboom said.

Grootboom added that hiring Expanded Public Works Programme  workers would have saved the municipality thousands in overtime.

Pali said  the project had been approved by the mayoral committee in late December, but delays in implementation occurred because many officials were on leave at the time.

“We passed this item very late in December, most of [the]  public health officials were already gone. We only managed to do the beach-cleansing," she said.

Pali said she intended to ensure that the project started in mid-March.

“We intend to call all ward councillors and make sure that we proceed with this item. It is worrying to hear Grootboom grandstanding here when he used to run that portfolio,” Pali said.

“Processes are unfolding but we are waiting for supply chain processes. "We are going to start with this project mid-March,” she said.

EFF councillor Lukhanyo Mrara said: “We cannot dispute the fact that we are in a crisis in this city when it comes to cleanliness.

“I am not sure if the problem is the MMC or that officials are giving her problems. We need to let service delivery be a priority for all of us.”

Infrastructure and engineering portfolio head Andile Lungisa said the city ought to put aside more money for  litter picking.

“What we saw in China . . . it was as though we were in a new Jerusalem. It was so clean that we didn't even see a chewing gum in the streets, that was a smart city,” Lungisa said.

“And if we want to be a smart city we must start from the basics. We are saying that on top of the R5m we must add a another R5m . . . to R10m . . . maybe even R20m, to clean this city so it can be a smart city,” Lungisa added.