“OUR rights as rate paying residents are negatively affected. It’s no longer safe for us here. There is a depreciation of the value of our properties whilst our insurance payments are escalating.”
This is according to Nandipha Mbontsi, one of the many concerned residents of Cawood Crescent in Vanes Estate, Kariega (Uitenhage), who on a daily basis have to combat issues as a result of the rapidly growing adjacent Moeggesukkel informal settlement, which is negatively affecting the character of Vanes Estate.
“I do not understand why local government allows for the shacks to be built here. There are no rules and regulations adhered to. This obviously is resulting in crime being so high.
“Even our electric gate as well as the electric gate motor has been stolen twice.”
Another Cawood Crescent resident, Oneza Phama said, “For three consecutive nights, between 01:00 and 03:00, criminals were trying to force their way into our house. We live in fear. Our safety is a huge concern. Now we are forced to build a high boundary wall, but still, this is no guarantee that the criminals will stop targeting us.”
Ernestine Whitebooi, also a resident of Cawood Crescent said residents are “becoming angry and at their wits’ end as is seems that there is no will from the local municipality to intervene.
“Municipal officials do not listen to our pleas. We are also ‘moeg gesukkel’. Their ignorance will lead to us having to take the law in our own hands for the protection of our lives and properties. But we do not want to go there, we desperately need assistance!”
“We’ve contacted various municipal officials with regard to our concerns, but to no avail. In an effort to support one another, we established a Cawood Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp communication group for residents in the streets of Fremantle, Cawood, Ross Gradwell, Gibbs, Mol and Verwoerd Drive,” said Whitebooi.
Leon Lategan, a Fremantle Street resident said, “We need better communication from the municipality’s side as to what is going on with the rapid development of the informal settlement that is not adequately regulated. It is hugely affecting our property values, safety and character of our neighbourhood.”
Noéline Skene said they have been living in Fremantle Street for the past 42 years. “We have invested in this property, but now we have a serious problem of our investment decreasing rapidly.
“We right through the night hear the people building their shacks. There is no stop to it. Each morning you see new houses and more indigenous bushes being removed.
“Each month we pay our municipal rates and taxes and have never been late with payment. And this is the service that we get? The municipality makes us look like a bunch of palukas that pay for services that we do not get.”
Residents blame the current and previous municipal dispensations that paid no heed to their pleas to step in and help save the neighbourhood.
Bill Harington, FF Plus spokesperson: Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, has had a meeting with the concerned residents and said one of the biggest problems is that the informal settlement Moeggesukkel has expanded so much over the last year that structures have been erected almost up to Cawood Crescent.
“To make matters worse, the settlement does not have access to basic municipal services like water, sanitation, and electricity,” said Harington.
“The previously lush environment has been deforested for firewood and to make space for new shacks. This has also caused people from across Uitenhage to start dumping their trash there illegally.
“All these factors contribute to a significant decrease in the Estate’s property valuations, which will also have a detrimental effect on the Metro’s revenue from property rates and taxes.”
The FF Plus has sent an urgent letter to the Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Council (NMBM), Nqaba Bhanga, and the municipal manager, Anele Qaba, requesting them to meet with the various affected parties so as to find a suitable solution to the respective communities’ problems.
The municipality was asked for comments, but by the time of going to print no feedback was received.
