NYANDENI Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Zamekile Nondlevu, and acting municipal manager, Zamangwane Masumpa, appeared before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) last week, January 21, to answer for the lack of service delivery at Mpindweni Village located in Libode.
This came after the municipality failed to respond to correspondence from the SAHRC on a complaint lodged with the commission.
“The South African Human Rights Commission has issued the mayor and municipal manager of Nyandeni Local Municipality with a subpoena notice to appear before the commission in terms of section 15 (1) (c) and (d) of the Human Rights Commission Act No. 40 of 2013.
“The subpoena hearing will convene on Friday, 21 January 2022 (tomorrow), and is to be chaired by Commissioner P. Ntuli at the SAHRC’s Eastern Cape provincial office. The subpoena hearing will ensue due to the Nyandeni Local Municipality’s failure to respond to the commission’s correspondence on a complaint lodged with the commission,” read a statement issued by the commission.
“The commission has noted from media reports, that there is lack of service delivery at the Mpindweni Village located in Libode.
“The media reports referred to the road leading into the village as being inaccessible, resulting in emergency medical services not being able to access the area.
“Community members are forced to transport patients to nearby healthcare facilities by themselves.
“Learners are also required to walk far distances, and many have to cross a river to attend school,” the statement further reads.
“In addition, the community does not have access to housing and does not have proper and adequate toilets. The commission’s investigation of the matter, however, continues to ensure accountability and securing appropriate redress for the affected residents. An investigative report incorporating the commission’s findings will be made available upon conclusion of the commission’s investigation,” concluded the commission’s statement.
Nondlevu said the municipality would not be commenting on the matter as it is a subject of the SAHRC investigation, but said a number of strides had been taken in addressing service delivery backlogs in Mpindweni village.
“There are developmental initiatives planned for the area, such as social infrastructure development and construction of the road thereto,” Nondlevu said.
“In relation to the envisaged road construction, the municipality has prepared a business plan (designs), which has a total cost projection of R37 million, for the construction of the access road in question and it is unfortunate that we have limited budget resources,” Nondlevu said.
“For the same community, Nyandeni Local Municipality, in partnership with Mhlontlo Local Municipality, has tourism development plans through a conservation initiative, Ntlangano Conservancy Community Reserve, which is one of our nodal points, just 4km away from Mpindweni.
Both municipalities jointly lobbied funds for development and recognition of that area as a regional development zone,” he concluded.
