Despite existing plans and a budget allocation to develop an unused parcel of land in NU7 into a community sports field with a stadium, the community has waited three long years in vain.
The field, situated next to Philani Primary School, is regularly used by local soccer teams and neighbouring schools at times, although it has no fencing, seating, change rooms or ablutions – all of which were promised to the community by the previous ward 20 councillor, Sizinzo Madikane.
Madikane’s successor Ntombizodwa Gamnca, who since 2016 has been the councillor of ward 20 – which comprises parts of NU6, 7 and 8 – said this broken promise was a major source of conflict between her and the community.
Gamnca said the sports field had a budget of R500 000 allocated to it in 2015, although the land still had to be rehabilitated.
“The people within my ward are desperate for the sports field, it’s the one thing they are always nagging me about and understandably so, because they know its budget was allocated in 2015 already. As much as there is high unemployment amongst my people, they are very active and sporty and I too, have been fighting for them to get the facility, but we have been told that the city is still looking for suitable candidates to do the job,” she said.
“Sport has the power to keep children and the youth active, out of trouble, away from drugs and it even serves as great entertainment for some which can keep the people within my ward busy.
“In my ward there are also serious concerns over housing, roads, unemployment and electrification of informal settlements, which I’m sure is not that different from other wards within Mdantsane, but these are problems we have been working towards combating over the past two years,” the councillor said.
“Earlier this year, together with the mayor, honourable Xola Pakati and infrastructure portfolio head Ncedo Kumbaca, during an electrification programme, 20 out of 99 shacks in the ward were electrified. The remainder could not be electrified because they were identified as shacks that mushroomed after the original 20 shacks were identified for electrification.”
Gamnca said by adding the 20 shacks to the transformer however, ratepaying residents were now experiencing black-outs for up to two days at a time.
“With these extra households electrified on the same transformer, there are more frequent power outages due to the transformer constantly tripping. This is something I am currently engaging with the engineering department to fix, possibly by bringing in another transformer to ease the load,” she said.
“It’s things like these that make our residents fight with us as councillors, because while we are trying to deliver services, hiccups come up along the way and not all are in the control of the councillor,” she said.
Gamnca said she had big plans for her ward which she hoped to see through by the end of the year.
“We have programmes we aim to launch during Mandela Month to raise awareness about abuse for both boys and girls, to reinforce what they should be learning about at school, and to say it shouldn’t end at school,” she said.
“For the elderly, we have already acquired sewing machines and we want to get more, because the mothers and grannies have asked we help them with a sewing project that can see them sewing school uniforms or tracksuits for the many neighbouring schools and churches to generate an income and to clothe those impoverished children who never have anything to wear.”
To speak to the Ward 20 councillor Ntombizodwa Gamnca, call her on 076-251-1789 or e-mail her on NtombizodwaG3@buffalocity.gov.za — mbalit@dispatch.co.za..