Ex-director slams city’s ’shoddy’ work in townships

CAPE TOWN - The death of a 2-year-old Khayelitsha toddler who drowned in an open drain has led to a former top City director lifting the lead on how the City allegedly quietly moved a R50 million budget that was meant for improving roads in poor areas to the leafy Green Point.

Little Imthandile Swartbooi’s family believe that his death at the weekend could have been prevented after the child fell and drowned in an open sewage drain that had been without a lid for more than a month.

Another child who lives three doors from Imthandile’s home also fell into the same sewage drain, but was rescued in time, according to Imthandile’s uncle, Malusi Swartbooi.

The family were consulting lawyers with a view of taking legal action against the City.

The City’s former directorate for urban management Wilfred Solomons-Johannes this week said while there were big plans for the suburbs, areas like Khayelitsha and Bishop Lavis were faced with life threatening manholes in their roads.

He said the budget allocated for the Jakes Gerwel N1 and N2 interchanges had been moved to Green Point where the Formula E race is set to take place early next year.

A further R4 million from Heideveld's budget for concrete roads was allegedly also moved to the area for preparations to make it suitable for racing, he charged.

Transport mayco member Rob Quintas however said that from the R74 367 150 Jakes Gerwel Road project, “only R1.15 million was transferred to the Greenpoint roads upgrades project and R4 million was transferred because it was not needed in the Heideveld project”.

“The Heideveld Area 5 project has been completed at a cost of R32 081 147. Given that the Heideveld project has been completed already, the R4 million that was budgeted for the 2021/22 year for the Area 5 project is no longer needed and has been allocated for the upgrades required for the Formule E in Greenpoint.

“The R1 150 000 that was transferred from the Jakes Gerwel project, the opportunity presented itself to make use of grant funding in the 2020/21 financial year for this project, that would otherwise have remained unspent.

“The scope of the Jakes Gerwel project is not affected by the transfer, and the full scope of work will be completed in the current financial year,” Quintas said.

Regarding the manhole covers and open drain sewage issues, he said the City was faced with a serious challenge with the theft and vandalism of storm drain covers across the metro.

The City replaces stolen and broken cast-iron manhole covers with ones made of polymer plastic as that material has little to no scrap value, but this has not proved to be a deterrent.

Each month, on average, the City replaces 300 drain covers across the metro.

But Good secretary-general Brett Herron said: “The manhole covers are replaced with plastic that has a wrong design and does not fit.They are too big, meaning they move not that they get stolen. Tenders are a disaster, they lapsed, stopping road repairs work. The community didn't steal them, the City did shoddy work endangering the lives of residents and motorists.

“Our poor communities must be happy with this type of work but you don't see this in Constantia or Sea Point,’’ he said.

Right2Know Campaign national coordinator Axolile Notywala said this portrays the attitude of the City towards coloured and black communities.

“If you drive around in the different communities and suburbs it is indeed a tale of two cities. In Khayelitsha streets are flowing sewage in some areas people are even struggling to open their doors.

“What used to be potholes are now big open holes.

“Many areas don’t have speed humps; residents have resorted to constructing their own.

“A child passed away at the weekend because of their carelessness, they are failing our communities.”

ANC caucus leader Xolani Sotashe said opposition parties had opposed the City’s adjustment budget on August 19.

Sotashe said it was clear the City was forcing the destitute to subsidize the rich.

“We were very upfront about where we stand.

“The City will go ahead with their plans because they have the majority votes in council and used this to pass the adjustment budget.

“It is time for the Cape Flats to see the DA for what it is, especially the areas like Heideveld that have been voting for the party.

“The problem is that this administration is power drunk and arrogant.

“It doesn’t make sense taking money meant to restore the damaged roads in disadvantaged communities for a rich area,” he said.

Cape Times