The Rep 1 October 2021

THE REPRESENTATIVE 1 October 2021 Tel: (045) 839-4040 / editorial: mjekulal@therep.co.za / advertising: charodinev@therep.co.za 11
Ilinge resident fears for his
life as sewage floods home
REFURBISHMENT PROJECT: Stakeholders and government officials gather to officially
launch the refurbished Queendustria sub-station on Tuesday. From left, are Mlungiseleli
Makhosonke, Eastern Cape Development Corporation CEO Ayanda Wakaba, Enoch Mgijima
Local Municipality chief whip Nombuyiselo Ndlebe, provincial department of economic
development, environmental affairs and tourism MEC Mlungisi Mvoko, Chris Hani District
Municipality deputy mayor Noncedo September, Camagu Futshane and founder of Twizza,
Ken Clark Picture: SUPPLIED
R24m upgrade of
Queendustria
sub-station is
welcome news
Residents, hospital and businesses to benefit
ZINTLE BOBELO
The Queendustria sub-station was officially
launched by provincial department of
economic development, environmental
affairs & tourism (DEDEAT) MEC Mlungisi
Mvoko, with Eastern Cape Development
Corporation (ECDC) CEO Ayanda Wakaba and
other stakeholders on Tuesday after undergoing a
a 24m refurbishment.
The now strengthened, refurbished electrical
infrastructure boasts a new 15MVA electrical
transformer, a refurbished 15MVA electrical
transformer, the installation and commissioning
of new current and voltage transformers and
surge arresters, plus the installation of 12 new
switchgear panels and a new security fence.
The Queendustria substation will now
distribute electricity to various Komani end-users
which include the business community of
Queendustria, the Komani Hospital and parts of
the Ezibeleni residential area.
Mvoko said a provincial economic stimulus
fund (PESF) was established by the provincial
government in the 2019/20 financial year to
support infrastructure projects that could create
much-needed economic activity.
“The fund is rooted in a decision by the
provincial executive council to allocate funds to
stimulate the local economy by targeting key
sectors that have a potential to turn around the
economy in the short- to medium-term,” said
M vo k o .
“The main objective of the PESF is to fund,
implement and monitor catalytic economic
development initiatives and projects aimed at
unleashing opportunities that grow the economy,
enable economic development, as well as grow
trade and investment.
“I cannot overemphasise the importance of
maintaining and upgrading service
infrastructure, and particularly electrical
infrastructure to support economic activity,
investment and growth.”
After experiencing persistent and intermittent
power outages which have reportedly caused
damage to local businesses, founder of Twizza,
Ken Clark, who represented the business
fraternity, welcomed the upgrade. “P r e v i o u s l y,
we suffered millions of rands worth of damage to
sensitive equipment because of power failures,
damaging sensitive electronic infrastructure.
“The results of the upgrade is that not only do
we have limited interruptions, we have a
controlled voltage which allows our equipment
to operate optimally and limits damage to the
equipment. This is how things should be.”
Clark appealed to all arms of government to
listen to businesses and pay attention to their
plea to help finance the refurbishment of the
Ebden sub-station.
“Komani Industrial Park had components that
reached the end of their lifespan with some
requiring immediate maintenance, particularly
substations and transformer components.
“In some areas, the electrical infrastructure
had reached a stage of collapse due to ageing
and inadequate maintenance as a result of
funding constraints,” said Enoch Mgijima Local
Municipality (EMLM) mayor Luleka Gubula.
She added that vandalism was a serious
problem but a plan was in place to tighten
security to safeguard municipal infrastructure.
“A number of sports facilities, halls and most
of our amenities have been vandalised but we
are in the process of procuring a security
c o m p a ny.
“Council realised that municipal security
personnel were not well-trained and had limited
resources and skills and we therefore realised
that this was not working for us.”
ECDC CEO Ayanda Wakaba confirmed that
the Ebden substation project involved
refurbishing, and was also being implemented
by the ECDC.
“The EMLM availed R14m as an urgent
intervention toward the project which will entail
installation of a 20MVA electrical transformer
including current transformers and voltage
transformers. The site was handed over to the
contractor on August 24 and is scheduled to be
completed in May 2022.”
The project is said to be funded by the EMLM
with the support of the municipal infrastructure
support agent and cooperative governance and
traditional affairs (Cogta).
HEALTH HAZARD: Smelly sewage floods the yard of elderly Ilinge resident Arthur Nkomo
every day, placing his wellbeing at serious risk Picture: SUPPLIED
MBALENTLE STOFU
A raw sewage overflow in Ilinge resident Arthur
Nkomo’s yard has left him fearing for his and his
animals’ l ive s .
“The dogs in my yard drink the water. I am
afraid they might get sick or die.”
Nkomo, 71, said the problem has started to
affect his personal life. “Sometimes I have to wait
until the bad odour tones down before I cook or
e a t ,” he laments.
He was desperately looking for a solution.
“I would be so happy if this matter would be
resolved. I live off my garden plants and now I
cannot eat because the plants are affected by the
sewage. Everything is wasted. Food is expensive
and the garden really helped cut costs because I
would only go to town buy meat. We had all kinds
of vegetables,’’ he said.
Nkomo said the situation worsened daily. “It
fills the yard and I even struggle to walk out of the
h o u s e .” He said people passing by his home
would point fingers and cover their nostrils
because of the smell.
“What is even scarier is that Covid-19 could
make things far worse, considering illnesses such
as bronchitis and pulmonary fibrosis. A person of
my age is at a higher risk of contracting such
illnesses. I am scared for my life and what I could
wake up to one day.”
He has tried to fix the problem on numerous
occasions. “I have tried to fix the problem myself,
but none of that has worked. I wish I knew how to
stop the sewage coming into my yard. I wish the
municipality would hear my cry and intervene.
Sometimes it dries and leaves black, stinky
patches on the pavement,’’ Nkomo added.
Nkomo said he was contemplating digging a
channel so that the sewage ran into neighbouring
houses so that they also suffered the same fate and
said he hoped that would bring a solution.
He alleged that a municipal truck serviced the
area at times but never reached his house, despite
having reported the problem on two occasions.
❝
I live off my garden plants and
now I cannot eat because the
plants are affected by the
sewage. Everything is wasted.
Food is expensive and the garden
really helped cut costs because I
would only go to town buy meat.
The previous week, a similar complaint was
raised by another resident in Mlungisi.
Chris Hani District Municipality spokesperson
Bulelwa Ganyaza said the municipality required
clear details including Nkomo’s address, a
reference number, which offices he visited to
report the matter before they could properly
respond. “The district receives a number of
customer complaints through different forms such
as walk-ins to our offices, via our customer care
line (0800 100 100) and ward councillors. These
complaints are attended to with feedback sourced
from the complaints to gauge their satisfaction
level on how the complaint was resolved. In this
case, it is not easy to advise on what transpired
with the issue referred due to lack of information
concerning the matter. We therefore kindly
request you to provide us with information related
to this particular incident for proper follow up
i n t e r n a l l y.”