Despite Mthatha drowning in heaps of rubbish, the stench of human waste lingering in the air and regular electricity blackouts, mayor Dumani Zozo believes he is successfully running King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality.
“Spilling rubbish and human waste in the streets because of job unhappiness is ubuxelegu and ubugqwirha [loosely translated as filthy state of mind and witchcraft],” he told the media on Tuesday.
“I do not even know where they get human waste from because we do not have the bucket system here in KSD.”
Mthatha has been turned into a dumping site by municipal workers for two weeks.
They are demanding permanent employment and in their protest have thrown rubbish on streets in the CBD.
As a result, the municipality has roped in a private company to try restore order.
Heavily armed security guards, accompanied by dogs, were seen at the reception and every floor of the Munitata Building on Tuesday.
Before the strike, Mthatha was already dirty – something Zozo had identified and committed to cleaning in his first 100 days in office, which ended in November 2016. However the former Transkei capital seems to be dirtier and filthier than before.
Asked whether he had fulfilled his promise of sweeping Mthatha clean, Zozo dodged the question and passed the buck, saying those were not his promises but the ANC’s commitments as stipulated in its manifesto. He saidhis administration had maintained and fenced cemeteries, ensured villages were electrified and tackled potholes by rebuilding some roads, including Elliot Road in the CBD to the tune of R25m.
He said his administration had attracted investments such as the “transport locomotive corridor” where more than 500 jobs would be created in Norwood.
“I want to apologise to the members of the community and everyone who visits Mthatha. It is not healthy for you to have rubbish thrown and scattered around town like this.”
His apology came after the Mthatha Ratepayers and Residents’ Association threatened to mobilise a rates boycott if municipal services did not improve.
OR Tambo Chamber of Business chair, Vuyisile Ntlabati, was not impressed: ”From where we are, the situation as it stands is unsatisfactory,” he said.
Pasika Nontshiza , chair of the KSD stakeholder forum described Zozo as a “disaster”.
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