By Bronwyn M. Singh
Long-time residents of Smartiesville, frustrated with poor service delivery, claim that they are being overlooked by the local municipality.
Residents voiced their concerns to the Newcastle Express, saying that they have reported many of their issues to the municipality, citing that the asbestos roofing on their homes was one of the main problems as it is a health hazard. They also said that a budget had been set aside five years ago to deal with the problems linked to the asbestos roofing, but to date nothing had been done.
“According to our knowledge, a budget was set aside to assist us with regards to the asbestos roofing. Five years later and nothing has been done to help us. My mother has now been diagnosed with cancer and many others are suffering with breathing problems which have been caused by the damaged asbestos roofing. After the hailstorm in 2019 as well, there are still water leaks and nothing has been done, which was previously promised by the municipality,” said one of the angry residents.
Another, who declined to be named out of fear of victimisation, raised the question as to where the allocated money for the asbestos roofing seemingly ‘disappeared’ to. “We were told that money had been allocated to assist us with the ongoing issue of the asbestos roofing. Such a long time has gone by. Where has the money gone to? In my opinion it has been mishandled,” she said.
According to healthstate.com asbestos is dangerous because it has the ability to break down into microscopically-thin fibres which are so small that they can remain airborne for days after being disturbed. While airborne, individuals can breathe these fibres in and due to their size, they can travel deep into one’s lungs, where they eventually lodge in the tissue which in turn can cause serious diseases including lung cancer and asbestosis (scarring of the lung tissue). Another angry resident went as far as to say that she thinks it is a race issue. “Other members of the community are seen to but the Indian people are forgotten about,” she said, declining to be named.
Acting Municipal Manager, Vish Govender, said that to date he has not received any requests from Smartiesville residents regarding their issues and urged residents to log a complaint via their call centre and obtain a reference number. Head of Communications of the Municipality, Mlungisi Khumalo, commented that the Newcastle Municipality are extremely concerned and worried about the outrageous accusations which insinuate that the funds to replace the asbestos roofing in some houses in Paradise were looted.
Khumalo dismissed claims of financial mismanagement, saying that the statement was reckless, mischievous and an attempt by charlatans to kick-start their own stillborn election campaigns. He also said that the engagements with the provincial housing department to replace asbestos in some houses in Paradise are at an advanced stage. “We are working around the clock to ensure that our residents have proper shelter and this includes the total eradication of asbestos. The municipality will immediately convene an urgent meeting to explore all possible avenues to fast-track the issue of asbestos,” he said.
Khumalo furthermore stated that the municipality will never discriminate against any individuals based on gender, age or the colour of their skin. “We dismiss the notion that the municipality has neglected any race within the municipality and we dismiss the unfortunate claim with the contempt that it deserves. We strongly believe that in order to build our diverse country, we need to look beyond race. We are a great nation because we are united in our diversity. Let us dispel attempts that seek to racially divide our residents,” he concluded.
