SEDGEFIELD NEWS - The Knysna-Plett Herald was contacted by Knysna Municipal Ward 1 Committee member and community leader, Michael Blaauw with a list of concerns voiced by the Smutsville community.
Knysna's acting municipal manager, Grant Easton responded (in italics) to these questions.
Question: Could the Municipality provide an update on the soccer field in Smutsville, Sedgefield as well as explain what Phase Two of the soccer field upgrade will entail?
Easton: A service provider B & V was appointed. The sports field project was handed over to them on February 9. They were given 14 weeks to complete the second phase. This phase consists of an Astroturf pitch and installing a set of flood lights.
Question: Smutsville residents are concerned that the drug problem within the community was “getting out of hand”. During a recent visit to Smutsville, Dan Plato, minister for Community Safety in the Western Cape, confirmed that his department had provided the Knysna Municipality with two mobile security caravans. The Smutsville residents were led to believe that they would benefit from at least one of these units. Could you provide comment as to where the mobile caravans are being used and if there are plans to utilise them in Smutsville?
Easton: A mobile caravan was handed over on Saturday, March 14 to the Community Police Forum. It will be stationed near the MPC Community Hall. We hope that this will assist with crime related matters in the area.
Question: Could the Knysna Municipality offer comment on what the municipality and other stakeholders have planned to tackle the drug problem within the Greater Knysna communities and what effect this programme is hoped to have on the youth? A youth leader intimated that there was currently no programme that is geared to address problems related to unemployment and drug abuse amongst the local youths. A meeting was held in Hornlee in the first week of February with the aim to address these concerns and find possible solutions.
Easton offered no response to this question.
Question: Residents are concerned that there is no municipal director or manager in Sedgefield. Several residents further expressed their concern that Sedgefield only has a labour force which "does not seem to have any urgency in 'getting the job done'". Does the municipality intend to replace Jules Hartslief, who, according to the community, "had his finger on the pulse of Sedgefield's municipal matters and got things done"? Residents further expressed their concern about the lack of management with reference to a street in Smutsville that has been dug up to fix a sewage pipe in January, but the repairs are still not completed and the road remains dug up.
Easton: The municipality acknowledges the need for a manager in Sedgefield, hence we have created a manager: Operations position for Sedgefield. The comment that Sedgefield workforce does not have any urgency to get the work done is very general, we are quite certain that there are many employees in Sedgefield who are committed to their work.
Question: Could the municipality comment on the lack of a housing official in Smutsville although an office for this post stands vacant in Smutsville?
Easton: It is not cost-effective to have a housing officer permanently in Sedgefield. We have two housing officials who are responsible for Sedgefield, Rheenendal and Karatara. They are at the Sedgefield housing office on Fridays from 07:30 until 13:00. They are attending to housing-related queries and matters.
Question: Could the Sedgefield councillors explain whether the office for the Sedgefield councillors is a white elephant as alleged, and whether and why they work from a Knysna office?
Irene Grootboom, Knysna Municipal Ward 1 councillor responded: The office in Smutsville is open once a week on different dates.
Question: The municipality installed bio-toilets in Smutsville during 2014. It is alleged that these toilets were never maintained and that they no longer function. Would the municipality explain why the expense of installing these toilets was undertaken without ensuring that a proper maintenance programme existed? Residents further claim that they had never received instructions on how the toilets functioned and this led to the toilets becoming blocked and eventually not working at all. It is further alleged that the solar panels and tanks of these toilets have been removed by the municipality and are now being kept in storage. Could the municipality offer comment on the reason behind this as well as explain what the future plan for these expensive bio-toilets is?
Easton: The allegations that the solar-bio toilets are not being maintained is not true. A service provider was appointed through a procurement process to operate and maintain the solar-bio toilets in Sedgefield for a period of six months. After the expiry of the contract in December 2014, the municipality undertook to maintain these toilets by using the 'honey sucker' to empty the septic tanks.
We are also busy rectifying faulty Eden toilets and looking at connecting the solar-bio toilets to the waterborne system. This rectification process was prompted by vandalism, and constant theft of solar panels and batteries by some members of the communities.
Residents did receive instructions on how the toilets functioned. Before the toilets were ready for use, community members were informed about the operation of the toilets and the service provider was also responsible for community liaison and they submitted reports with a signed attendance register.
'We bring you the latest Knysna,Garden Route news'
