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NEWSPage 2 21 January 2011
ABOUT USThe eZasegagasini Metro is theofficial eThekwini Municipalitypublication through whichratepayers and residents areinformed of news andperspectives in greater Durban.It is a forum for readers’ viewsand is published fortnightly on aFriday, with 400 000 copiesdistributed. To contact us:eZasegagasini Metro, PO Box5588, Durban, 4000 Newsroom: 031 311 4813/14/15/16 Fax: 031 332 8051Reception: 031 311 [email protected]
Editor: Ntsiki MagwazaNews Editor: Mandla NseleContent co-ordinator: MackMakhathiniSub-editors: Matthew Hattingh,Alan CooperWriters: Nondu Ngcongo,Romita Hanuman, ThembaKhumalo, Sane Shandu,Themba Nyathikazi, SohanaSingh, Khaya Sengani, GuguMdlalose, S’celo Khuzwayo,Zibuse Ndlovu, Jabulani Msweli,Vuyolwethu GwalaPhotographer: Jessie SinghTranslations: ThembaNyathikazi, Zibuse Ndlovu, MackMakhathini, Themba Khumalo,Nondu Ngcongo, S’celoKhuzwayoGraphics: Amith Sewparsad,Zama Zwane, Zakhe Ntshingila
STAFF
ZIBUSE NDLOVU
THE Municipality and LwaziProjects recently introduced amentorship programme todevelop small contractors.
Procurement and Infra-structure Committee Chair-man, Councillor Visvin Reddysaid the aim of the pro-gramme was to develop re-sources within the com-munity, with large municipalprojects serving as traininggrounds for small contractors.
More than 140 ablutionblocks, built by small con-tractors on 71 sites, havealready been handed over in34 informal settlementsacross eThekwini.
“We are delighted about theproject. The provision of basicsanitation is an importantpart of eThekwini’s strategy,”said Reddy.
The R400-million ablutionblock project is aimed atsupplying potable water andtoilets to informal settlements.
Project executive Alan Keesaid, “A further 392 containers
will be handed over to com-munities early this year.”
Project Manager Evan Smithsaid the sub-contractor dev-elopment programme wouldbe independently assessedbased on agreed targets: “Theproject is creating employ-ment within the communityby using local labour,” saidSmith.
The project started in Jan-uary 2009 and is using thesmall enterprise developmentmodel, pioneered by eThek-wini’s award-winning Asbes-tos Cement Pipe ReplacementProject. “Each of the eightlocal sub-contractors workswith one of the main con-tractors on the project.Mentoring is provided byLwazi Projects, the mentor-ship consultants,” said Smith.
Mentorship expert, WillieRossouw of Lwazi Projects,has developed a scorecardwhich monitors the progressmade in key areas by each subcontractor. “The scorecardgives feedback on result areassuch as site costing, construc-
tion programming and staff-ing,” said Rossouw.
Fortnightly workshops areheld by the mentors to helpsub-contractors come to gripswith important concepts inconstruction work.
“I am learning a great deal
about managing and develop-ing a successful business,”said Busi Ndlovu, one of thesub-contractors on the ment-orship programme.
Locally recruited commu-nity liaison officers are onhand to educate communities
about health benefits relatedto having access to potablewater and sewage facilities.
When complete, caretakersare selected for the ablutionblocks from within the infor-mal settlement.
ABOVE: One of thecontainer ablution blocksINSET: Busi Ndlovu of sub-contractor Royal AfricaTrading shares a momentwith project mentor WillieRossouw at a recentworkshop. Workshops areheld regularly on a variety ofconstruction industry topics
R400mprojectbrings jobs
VUYOLWETHU GWALA
NEARLY 80 poor families canlive in dignity again after theMunicipality helped repairtheir dilapidated homes orbuild new ones for them.
The Repair of UnsafeHouses for VulnerableFamilies project is an initiativeof the Municipality’s ExtendedPublic Works Programme(EPWP) and Habitat forHumanity South Africa.
EPWP Manager MphoMthembu said familiesjudged to be most affected bypoverty in the Municipality’sWard 99 and 100 wereidentified and, with help fromthe Department of HumanSettlement, homes were builtfor them. She said the projectstarted in 2008 and morehouses would be built soon.
Zama Nxele (33), one of therecipients of the houses atCraigieburn, near uMkomaas,said the new home had madea tremendous difference toher family of eight. She saidher sister was the only onewho was employed andsupported the whole family,which had made it impossibleto maintain their home.
“Our old house collapsedshortly after we moved intothe new house last Augustand I do not know what wewould have done if theMunicipality had not built usthis new house,” Nxele said.
The whole community hadbeen involved in building thehouses. “We assisted withtransporting bricks and othermenial labour. That makesme feel like I built this housewith my own hands and I amproud of that,” she said.
THEMBA KHUMALO
LOCAL co-operative gard-eners will be moreproductive, thanks to adonation of wheelbarrows,hoes and garden forks co-ordinated by Councillor SamKikine.
Delivering the equipmentto the beneficiaries at theInanda Ntuzuma andKwaMashu (Ink) Area BasedManagement office, whereone of these food gardens isbased, Kikine said, “I wasmerely following PresidentJacob Zuma’s lead, when heemphasised the importanceof food gardens and the rolethey can play in fightingpoverty.”
The food gardens are part ofthe One Home, One Gardeninitiative, the brainchild of
KwaZulu-Natal Premier, DrZweli Mkhize.
Kikine urged members ofthe co-operatives to share theequipment for the benefit ofthe community. “Use it wiselyso that it can last longer. Wewant you to grow ascooperatives and end up sell-ing your products to bigretailers,” he said.
Samukelisiwe Biyela, ofSidla Ngoludala cooperative,said, “I don’t have words toexpress our gratitude for theequipment and seeds we gottoday.
“These things will help us alot. These gardens will help usput food on the table for ourchildren,” she said.
The co-operative alsoreceived soya beans andother vegetable seeds andinstructions on how to plant
and cultivate them. Ink area Project Manager
Linda Mbonambi said, “I wasapproached by CouncillorKikine to assist in identifyingareas which could be used forvegetable gardens.
“I then spoke to the centremanager and that is how thegardens were started at theInk offices.
“The project is part of skillsdevelopment and it promotesgreening. People now know
how to plant vegetables. Wehope this will inspire othersto start vegetable gardens attheir homes and support thePremier’s programme,” hesaid.
ROMITA HANUMAN
THE Municipality is standingfirm against some city centretraders who want to return totheir old sites after agreeing tomove to a new site.
Last March, the city begannegotiations with about 420traders from the GuguDlamini Park Sunday Market,Church Walk and Loco Plazaon the need to relocate themto a new market site in avacant parking lot next to theWorkshop shopping centre.
Recently, several disgruntledtraders refused to trade at thenew market place, complain-
ing that business was slowand they were struggling tomake ends meet.
But the Municipality’s Busi-ness Support and MarketsUnit (BSMU) has insisted thattraders who were relocatedcannot go back to their oldtrading sites.
BSMU Senior Manager Thu-lani Nzama rejected suggest-ions that the move was sup-posed to have been temp-orary. “Traders who thoughtthe move was temporary werewrong. We consulted themand presented a permanentplan. They agreed to it,”Nzama said.
He explained the concernsregarding the old site. “Thereis congestion, the stalls areunsightly, there are no emerg-ency routes and insufficientablution facilities. And foodbeing prepared on site doesnot comply with healthregulations.
Lease“We got together and dis-
cussed this. The traders actu-ally suggested the new site. Sowe went ahead with improve-ments, hardening, landscap-ing and beautifying the site tomake it trader friendly. The
traders signed the lease.” Nzama said the aim of the
upgrade was to, “Addressplanning problems byimproving sight lines, reducecongestion, widen aisles andreduce numbers in publicspaces. We want to stand-ardise unit sizes and procurecommercially available gaz-ebos for trading.
“We want to integrate flowersellers to add colour andvibrancy and installing newablution facilities for tradersand the public, providestorage and employ a MarketManager and generalworkers.”
Nzama said the rent wassignificantly lower at the newsite. “At the old site, traderswere paying R23 a day. At thenew market, they are payingR450-a-month which worksout significantly cheaper.
“We understand they havesome concerns. We bringentertainers twice a week sothe new site would getexposure and attract cust-omers. We are also consultingcity planners to look at thepossibility of creating addit-ional sites. We are holdingmeetings to discuss theseissues,” Nzama said.
Homesfor poor
Municipality ready to talk to unhappy traders
Seeds, tools helpveggie gardeners
HOMEGROWN:CouncillorsBonganiDlamini andSam Kikine,Ink areaProjectManagerLindaMbonambi,and veggiegardenersZebalonMxoli andSamukelisiweBiyela
Picture:THEMBA
KHUMALO