Ukubola kweziseko zophuhliso kunye nokonakaliswa kwenkqubo yogutyulo kwiindawo ezithile zomaspala oMbaxa waseNelson Mandela Bay kukhokelele kumawaka emiqobo kulo nyaka uphelileyo. Ngamanye amaxesha oku kuye kwakhokelela ekuchithekeni kogutyulo. Umasipala ombaxa uthi ujongene nemiba ekhoyo – kodwa ngumngeni omkhulu.
Ukuchitheka kwelindle kwiziseko zabantu kube yinto eqhelekileyo.
Abahlali baseMotherwell, uMzilikazi Mtshisa noThulani Mtshisa, bathi le nto ibeyingozi empilweni, ibe sisigrogrise iminyaka ngoku.
“Sineminyaka engama-20 siphila ngolu hlobo. Oku kwenzeka phantse nyanga zonke, ugutyulo lwamanzi amdaka luphalala ezindlwini zethu. Ivumba liyoyikeka ngokwenene. Sinabantwana abafuna ukuya kudlala phandle. Kufuneka sibajonge ngalo lonke ixesha ukuze bangaweli kugutyulo.”
“Le nto yenzeka qho emva kwenyanga, imibhobho ivalile kuze kufike umasipala ayivule. Kodwa iphinde ivale ingakumbi xa bekuyimpelaveki ephithizelayo kulo mmandla njengomngcwabo okanye umsitho. Singathanda ukuba umasipala ayitshintshe yonke imibhobho mhlawumbi mincinci kwaye ayikwazi ukuthatha umthamo.
UMlawuli wezaManzi noGutyulo kuMasipala oMbaxa, uBarry Martin, uthi ukonakaliswa kwezakhiwo kuchongwe njengoyena nobangela wokuvaleka kwemibhobho yogutyulo.
“Ukonakaliswa kwempahla ayikokuba iintambo kuphela kodwa kukwafaka nempahla yangaphandle kwimisele ebangela imibhobho. Ngoko abantu kufuneka bekunye nomasipala ngoxela abo babonakalisa ubutshaba.”
Lo masipala uthi akukhange kugxilwe kakhulu ekuphuhliseni nasekugcinweni kweziseko zogutyulo kule minyaka isixhenxe idlulileyo. I-MMC ye-Metro ye-Infrastructure and Engineering, uKhanya Ngqisha, uthi ugqaliselo lutshintshile kwaye kukho iindlela zokulungisa lo mba.
“Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku siye sazisa ukhuseleko lwabucala oluxhobileyo kwiindawo ezibalulekileyo. Sikwabonelela ngokhuseleko lwabasebenzi abalungisayo kwiindawo ezinengxaki, apho amagosa ethu ahlaselwa kwaye aphangwe njengoko ejongana neengxaki. Nangona kunjalo, kucacile kuthi ukuba asiyi kunqoba le ngxaki sisodwa. Sifuna abahlali bethu basebenzisane nathi ukuyinqanda le nto kuba inefuthe elibi kwiimpilo zenu.”
Umasipala uye wajongana nemibhobho yogutyulo engaphezulu kwe-16 000 kulo nyaka uphelileyo. Oku kuquka imigca engundoqo eyayivalekile, nto leyo eyadla umasipala ombaxa ngaphezulu kwezigidi ezi-3 zeerandi.