In an effort to dispel negative perceptions about Mthatha and attract investors, municipal bosses yesterday launched a massive clean-up campaign to change the face of the city.
Disgruntled residents have previously lashed out at authorities for failing to clean up the city, described as “filthy”, while business has argued the mess was driving potential investors away.
But King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipal bosses yesterday urged residents and local businesses to join them in declaring war on waste.
“KSD alone cannot clean the town if people are not trying to help clean up as well,” acting municipal manager Zolisa Mdikane said.
“We need them to stop littering and dumping rubbish everywhere.”
The campaign will see about 145 people, mostly youths, being employed to help with cleaning and tree planting as part of the expanded public works programme (EPWP).
Of the 145, 21 are young university graduates who will go door-to-door talking to people about the impact of illegal dumping and littering.
KSD’s community services director Luvuyo Maka said the municipality had contributed R2.1-million towards the project while more than R700000 had been received from the roads and public works department’s EPWP grant allocation.
He said municipality would embark on an intensive drive to clean up the city from today until October 16. However, they were hoping to rope in other stakeholders to make it a long-term initiative.
KSD has also secured about R24-million from the Department of Environmental Affairs to create waste transfer stations in Mthatha and Coffee Bay.
“Our landfill near Bhongweni has reached its design capacity,” Maka said.
“We are busy with designs for the waste transfer stations while discussions are under way over acquiring land for another landfill site in Qweqwe village.”
The director hinted that authorities were looking to introduce either cement or recyclable plastic waste bins in the centre of Mthatha.
“We put about 800 metal bins in Mthatha in 2009-10 but only 200 are still intact. Most were vandalised with metal parts stripped and sold to scrap metal dealers.”
Community services’ portfolio head Lungiswa Madyibi said KSD was also working on stricter by-laws to ensure harsh punishment for those caught littering.
The new draft by-law policy is set to go before council for approval “soon”, he said.
Mdikane admitted the current state of the city drove potential investors away.
“If a place is dirty nobody wants to come and invest,” he said.
“People don’t even want to come and work in a filthy place.
“We don’t just lose a potential ratepayer but also job opportunities when businesses are reluctant to come here. That affects the whole economy.”
Residents and businesses welcomed the initiative.
Businessman Graeme Alexander said it was a good idea in principle but more control would be needed to make sure by-laws were implemented to the letter.
“Investors look at cleanliness but also the efficiency of the municipality in dispensing services when considering where to invest.”
Residents Laura Mpahlwa and Nkululeko Nyembezi gave the initiative the thumbs up.
“It is embarrassing,” former KSD municipal councillor Mpahlwa said.
Nyembezi urged municipal bosses to prevent hardware stores from displaying their wares on pavements as pedestrians were forced to walk into roads, obstructing traffic.
UDM president Bantu Holomisa, who introduced a “Keep Mthatha Clean” campaign when he was the homeland leader, welcomed the news, saying it was long overdue.
He called on KSD to also fix infrastructure including roads.
The Daily Dispatch reported on Tuesday that Mthatha was bracing itself for two new multimillion-rand projects including a luxurious four-star, 100-room hotel which is currently under construction.
Proposals for a casino and a five-star hotel are reportedly set to go before the KSD council soon. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Mthatha bosses declare war on waste
Disgruntled residents have previously lashed out at authorities for failing to clean up the city, described as “filthy”, while business has argued the mess was driving potential investors away.
But King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipal bosses yesterday urged residents and local businesses to join them in declaring war on waste.
“KSD alone cannot clean the town if people are not trying to help clean up as well,” acting municipal manager Zolisa Mdikane said.
“We need them to stop littering and dumping rubbish everywhere.”
The campaign will see about 145 people, mostly youths, being employed to help with cleaning and tree planting as part of the expanded public works programme (EPWP).
Of the 145, 21 are young university graduates who will go door-to-door talking to people about the impact of illegal dumping and littering.
KSD’s community services director Luvuyo Maka said the municipality had contributed R2.1-million towards the project while more than R700000 had been received from the roads and public works department’s EPWP grant allocation.
He said municipality would embark on an intensive drive to clean up the city from today until October 16. However, they were hoping to rope in other stakeholders to make it a long-term initiative.
KSD has also secured about R24-million from the Department of Environmental Affairs to create waste transfer stations in Mthatha and Coffee Bay.
“Our landfill near Bhongweni has reached its design capacity,” Maka said.
“We are busy with designs for the waste transfer stations while discussions are under way over acquiring land for another landfill site in Qweqwe village.”
The director hinted that authorities were looking to introduce either cement or recyclable plastic waste bins in the centre of Mthatha.
“We put about 800 metal bins in Mthatha in 2009-10 but only 200 are still intact. Most were vandalised with metal parts stripped and sold to scrap metal dealers.”
Community services’ portfolio head Lungiswa Madyibi said KSD was also working on stricter by-laws to ensure harsh punishment for those caught littering.
The new draft by-law policy is set to go before council for approval “soon”, he said.
Mdikane admitted the current state of the city drove potential investors away.
“If a place is dirty nobody wants to come and invest,” he said.
“People don’t even want to come and work in a filthy place.
“We don’t just lose a potential ratepayer but also job opportunities when businesses are reluctant to come here. That affects the whole economy.”
Residents and businesses welcomed the initiative.
Businessman Graeme Alexander said it was a good idea in principle but more control would be needed to make sure by-laws were implemented to the letter.
“Investors look at cleanliness but also the efficiency of the municipality in dispensing services when considering where to invest.”
Residents Laura Mpahlwa and Nkululeko Nyembezi gave the initiative the thumbs up.
“It is embarrassing,” former KSD municipal councillor Mpahlwa said.
Nyembezi urged municipal bosses to prevent hardware stores from displaying their wares on pavements as pedestrians were forced to walk into roads, obstructing traffic.
UDM president Bantu Holomisa, who introduced a “Keep Mthatha Clean” campaign when he was the homeland leader, welcomed the news, saying it was long overdue.
He called on KSD to also fix infrastructure including roads.
The Daily Dispatch reported on Tuesday that Mthatha was bracing itself for two new multimillion-rand projects including a luxurious four-star, 100-room hotel which is currently under construction.
Proposals for a casino and a five-star hotel are reportedly set to go before the KSD council soon. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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