Durban — The communities of KwaNdengezi, KwaSanti, Dassenhoek, Nazareth Island and other neighbouring areas all spoke with one voice – that of disillusionment and disappointment in the KwaZulu-Natal government for poor service delivery.
The hundreds of unhappy community members gathered at KwaNdengezi Sports field on Sunday, to listen to the KZN provincial delegation during the crime-fighting Imbizo convened in response to the rife crime that has ravaged the area.
When given a chance to voice their concerns, scores of dissatisfied community members took the opportunity, one by one, while standing in a snaking line – to tell the delegation how unhappy they were about the lack of service delivery in their areas of abode.
A wheelchair-bound KwaNdengezi resident, Mduduzi Mthethwa, said as a disabled person he felt forgotten by the government.
“We only see the programmes and other projects relating to the disabled people happening in other areas on TV, hear about them on radio and read about them in newspapers, yet we have never had anything done here where we live. We appeal to the government to organise programmes that will provide us with training programmes, so that we can hone our skills and be able to provide for our families,” Mthethwa said.
A young man who asked to remain anonymous, did not mince his words when he urged the government to bring SAPS and Home Affairs departments to come and account to the community about the influx of drugs into their communities.
He blamed the two departments of opening the country’s borders and allowing the influx of undocumented foreigners who have come into the province with all sorts of problems.
“I call on the government to open a Home Affairs and Sassa offices down there at the Desai shopping area, so that our elderly people and mothers must not travel long distances to seek such services in town,” he added.
Letoya Madlala, a young woman, said she aimed at helping other young people to learn skills that empower them to do things for themselves.
Madlala appealed to the government to assist the youth with opportunities to learn skills – especially those that would help them to start small businesses.
Thornwood Secondary school matric learner Andiswa Msani encouraged other learners to desist from doing things that will put them in trouble and instead focus on their education, find hobbies and other activities that will help them in future.
Many of the complaints from the mothers were around the housing projects that have stalled and others that never took off.
One complained about the dilapidated council house she and her family have lived in for years, asking the government to help provide them with decent housing to bring back their dignity.
The community also complained about the poor roads in their neighbourhoods.
They appealed to the government to help upgrade the road infrastructure, so that they can have buses operating through their communities, as well as other modes of transportation.
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Daily News