Residents of villages near Butterworth have called for the removal of discarded building material lying next to the Tsomo river, saying it was being used by criminals to hide.
Large concrete structures lying next to the river were to be used for construction of a bridge. However, the work was never completed and the R3.4-million tender, issued by Mnquma municipality in 2005, is now the subject of a court battle. A senior ANC councillor and his father stand accused in the fraud case.
A new bridge was built, not far from where the concrete structures were dumped, at a cost of R12.7-million.
Residents of Nxumeya village committee claim the large concrete structures are now sheltering criminals, who attack soft targets like women who use the road after dark.
There are more than 85 structures, with an estimated price of R3000 each, which can only be removed with heavy machinery.
“The municipality must remove these by December. We can’t do anything with the land they are lying on,” said committee member Songesi Faygala.
Mnquma municipality voiced disappointment over the large amount of costly building material left behind. However, the local authority is unable to use the material because it forms part of a criminal investigation, said municipal spokeswoman Sinethemba Jenkins.
“There are elements of fraud in the case. The municipality is very upset because it is a large waste of taxpayers’ money,” said Jenkins. “We are trying to hear whether it would be appropriate to recover the money from the councillor.”
Village committee member Goodwill Nambakuze said: “People are often raped and mugged when they walk past the blocks because you can’t see from afar if someone is hiding there.”
He also raised concern over the bridge, which was completed by another contractor when the first project failed.
He said although it helped the communities to cross the river, it was unsafe.
The bridge does not have a railing and Nambakuze claims children are sometimes pushed off it by bullies.
For villagers like Lindelwa Fayindlala, a teacher at Mbasa Junior Secondary school at neighbouring Rwantsana village, the new bridge has had a positive impact on their lives.
Previously, she had to wade through the river naked to get to school each morning, with her clothes held above her head. School children did the same.
The river had claimed the lives of at least eight people, including two pupils, before the new bridge was built. — aronh@dispatch.co.za
Call to remove unused building material
Large concrete structures lying next to the river were to be used for construction of a bridge. However, the work was never completed and the R3.4-million tender, issued by Mnquma municipality in 2005, is now the subject of a court battle. A senior ANC councillor and his father stand accused in the fraud case.
A new bridge was built, not far from where the concrete structures were dumped, at a cost of R12.7-million.
Residents of Nxumeya village committee claim the large concrete structures are now sheltering criminals, who attack soft targets like women who use the road after dark.
There are more than 85 structures, with an estimated price of R3000 each, which can only be removed with heavy machinery.
“The municipality must remove these by December. We can’t do anything with the land they are lying on,” said committee member Songesi Faygala.
Mnquma municipality voiced disappointment over the large amount of costly building material left behind. However, the local authority is unable to use the material because it forms part of a criminal investigation, said municipal spokeswoman Sinethemba Jenkins.
“There are elements of fraud in the case. The municipality is very upset because it is a large waste of taxpayers’ money,” said Jenkins. “We are trying to hear whether it would be appropriate to recover the money from the councillor.”
Village committee member Goodwill Nambakuze said: “People are often raped and mugged when they walk past the blocks because you can’t see from afar if someone is hiding there.”
He also raised concern over the bridge, which was completed by another contractor when the first project failed.
He said although it helped the communities to cross the river, it was unsafe.
The bridge does not have a railing and Nambakuze claims children are sometimes pushed off it by bullies.
For villagers like Lindelwa Fayindlala, a teacher at Mbasa Junior Secondary school at neighbouring Rwantsana village, the new bridge has had a positive impact on their lives.
Previously, she had to wade through the river naked to get to school each morning, with her clothes held above her head. School children did the same.
The river had claimed the lives of at least eight people, including two pupils, before the new bridge was built. — aronh@dispatch.co.za
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