We hear you, Bobani tells residents

KwaLanga residents painted a grim picture at an IDP meeting of how they lived in fear of criminals and raised issues including electrification, serviced sites and the tarring of roads.

Residents filled the Allanridge community hall for the 2018/2019 budget review facilitated by ANC councillor Rosie Daaminds on Tuesday.

Residents from ward 45 in KwaLanga complained that because they shared a ward with KwaNobuhle, most of the budget went to that area instead of being evenly split.

Zolaphi Tyatya, of Lapland, said the budget spoke about ward 45 but a lot of development was taking place in KwaNobuhle and not on the Lapland side.

“Can the municipality look at tarring roads on this side of Lapland? This is an area that the municipality never paid much attention to.

“We live in houses that were built before 1994 and we don’t see much being talked about on rectification,” Tyatya said.

Rhonda Nel said she wanted rectification for houses in her ward because the ones they lived in now were not conducive for families live in.

“Every time it rains our houses are flooded and no-one comes out to fix problems. We’ve been living like this for 28 years,” Nel said.

Another resident said people who were evicted in 2013 for illegally occupying land were just dumped by the municipality in flood plains and left to fend for themselves.

“This budget speaks nothing about land for those who were evicted or backyard dwellers.

“We’re not talking about houses but at least serviced sites so we can build on them,” the woman said.

Lungelwa Marangula asked when Phase Two of housing would be built in Joe Slovo.

“[Former mayor Athol] Trollip told us he would build toilets for us. We don’t want toilets, we want houses,” he said.

Marangula complained that most of the people who got jobs from the municipality were from KwaNobuhle, and that those from KwaLanga were left out in the cold.

Another resident, Susan Ruiters, claimed PR councillor Nqaba Bhanga treated them like dirt when they asked for services in the area.

“I caution you as the new leadership to assist us. We want services,” Ruiters said.

Budget and treasury political head Mkhuseli Mtsila, who opened the meeting, said: “We’re here today to give platforms to communities to express their needs and wants for the 2018/2019 financial year.

“It’s an important process for us because you, the community, shape our budget.”

Human settlements head Andile Mfunda said the new government was taking residents’ issues very seriously.

“We want to be able to say, ‘people in Allanridge said they want this and that’,” he said.

Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani said: “This is your money, you must tell government what you want.”

He said the new government would go to their wards and fix what was wrong.

“People of Lapland want land, Silvertown wants rectification. We’ll immediately take these ones up.

“We’ve heard you,” he said.