ATC120227: Report Oversight visit to KwaZulu Natal (Umzimkhulu Local Municipality) & Eastern Cape (Port St Johns, Nyandeni & Mnquma Local Municipalities) 27 February 2012 – 02 March 2012

NCOP Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy

1

Report of the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs on the oversight visit to KwaZulu Natal ( Umzimkhulu Local Municipality) and Eastern Cape (Port St Johns, Nyandeni and Mnquma Local Municipalities), dated

 

The Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs having conducted oversight in the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality (KZN) and Port St Johns, Nyandeni and Mnquma Local Municipality ( Eastern Cape ) respectively, from the 27 February 2012 – 02 March 2012 reports as follows:

 

1. Background and Introduction

 

1.1. The municipalities visited were the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality situated in the Sisonke District Municipality in Kwa Zulu Natal and Port St Johns, Nyandeni and Mnquma Local Municipality which falls under the OR Tambo District Municipality in Eastern Cape .

 

1.2. The delegation consisted of the following members of Parliament, Ms AND Qikani (Chairperson, ANC), Ms NW Magadla (ANC), Mr GG Mokgoro (ANC) and Mr O de Beer (COPE) and Parliamentary support staff, Mr AA Bawa (Committee Secretary), Mr J Jooste (Researcher), Mr G Mankayi (Committee Assistant) and Ms D Pillay (Content Adviser).

 

1.3. The aim and objective of the visit was to conduct oversight over the Departments of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) and Water Affairs (DWA). Rural Development is a key government priority which is addressed by Outcome 7: Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all whilst ensuring access to water and to r educe by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is the key objective of the Department of Water Affairs .

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2. Municipalities visited

 

2.1. Umzimkhulu Local Municipality (LM)

 

Umzimkhulu LM is one of the local municipalities situated in the Sisonke District Municipality with a population of approximately 243 242 people and 43 545 households. It has approximately 90.4% of the population residing in rural areas, while the remaining 9.6% are urban based. The municipality has 20 wards which are represented by 20 ward councilors and 20 proportional representatives.

 

Housing developments built when the region was still under the administration of the Eastern Cape Province (EC) are not currently serviced and are also being vandalized. There are also no accurate land ownership (state and private) records which influences the prospects of any current and future housing developments. Umzimkhulu faces severe backlogs with respect to water and sanitation provisions.

 

The Sisonke DM was the Water Services Authority (WSA) and performed the Water Service Provider (WSP) function in its five Local Municipal areas i.e. Kwasani LM, Ubuhlebezwe LM, Ingwe LM, Umzimkhulu LM and Greater Kokstad LM. The Sisonke DM was established in 2000; and in 2006 boundary adjustments increased its area of jurisdiction with the inclusion of the former Eastern Cape enclave, the Umzimkhulu LM area.

 

Following the allocation of water and sanitation services powers and functions in 2003, the Sisonke DM contracted the Umgeni Water Board to run the Ixopo system and assist with the water services provision function in the Ixopo area. Sisonke DM WSA performs the water services provision for the remainder of the area.

 

During the discussion it was explained that the Sisonke DM was located within the Umzimkhulu and Mzintlava River systems that are not well regulated, but with enough run-of f -river yields in the Mzintlava River system to supply Kokstad. More water will eventually be required from the Mzimkulu River system and other rivers and streams to meet the future water requirements of the Sisonke DM. However, the cost of pumping raw untreated water from the river system will most likely be high due to the landscape and terrain of the area.

 

The DWA explained that the severe water services backlog in Sisonke DM can be attributed to the lack of bulk water infrastructure and that projects are underway to address this issue. The potential for accessing groundwater in the southern parts of the DM looks favorable as this would be able to supply the small rural communities in the Sisonke DM.

 

According to the DWA about 28 798 households (24%) within the Sisonke DM do not

have access to a basic water services and 28 330 (24%) do not have access to basic

sanitation services. It is estimated that within the Umzimkhulu LM , 185 households

are serviced by approximately 66 schemes, of which 59 are working, affecting mostly

rural villages, farm settlements and informal settlements.

 

During a National Cabinet Lekgotla held in July 2011, the Sisonke DM was identified as

one of 21 priority Districts due to high service delivery backlogs. In August 2011, a

Provincial Cabinet Lekgotla prioritised the Sisonke DM amongst four DMs for urgent

intervention and Provincial Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance

and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) were given the task of sourcing funding and the

appointment of technical expertise in the Sisonke DM.

 

The Sisonke DM is almost entirely dependant on government grants to fund the

provision of water and sanitation services to the poor. The cost of eradicating the water

and sanitation backlog within the Sisonke DM is estimated at about R5, 370, 810 million.

As a result of the DM fail ure to provide acceptable quality drinking water, the regional

office of the DWA in KZN has offered their technical support to the district to help them

improve their water safety plan. The wastewater quality in the DM is poor as well,

requiring serious attention as it is below the legislative targets.

 

2.1.1 Comments by the Department of Wa ter Affairs

 

The Regional Office of the DWA in K waZulu-Natal (KZN) stated that the DWA recently completed draft water reconciliation strategies for most of the larger supply systems in KZN . The studies determined the current and future water demand of each town , comparing and evaluat ing the current resource s available so that the Sisonke DM could be properly advised on the best sources of water supply and developmen t of implementation strategies.

 

A Water Services Development Plan (WSDP) was prepared for the DM in 2006 but never formally adopted by the DM , only been reviewed and revised in 2008 . The Sisonke DM relies almost entirely on grant funding for the provision of water and sanitation services to the indigent, with the cost of eradicat ing the water and sanitation backlog estimated at R5, 370, 810 million. The Sisonke DM also failed to improve the drinking water supplied to the area , hence the DWA lack of faith in the DM to render safe and sustainable drinking water quality management services to its consumers. T he KZN Regional Office of the DWA is currently offering technical support to the DM, in an attempt to help them improve their water safety plan.

 

As mentioned earlier by the DWA , the Sisonke DM was identified as one of the 21 priority Districts by the National Cabinet Lekgotla held in July 2011 . Some of the

interventions by DWA KZN Regional Office include d:

 

§ DWA has facilitated access to funding via RBIG and ACIP

§ DWA’s Water Sector Support facilitating the development of Water Safety Plans

§ Implementation of the Councillor Induction programme

§ The municipality needs to look at urgent interventions to improve current status on NRW through the implementation of WC/WDM programmes

 

2.1.2 Comments by the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Environmental A ffairs and Rural Development (DAE&RD)

 

The provincial DAE&RD explained that Umzimkulu had vast, rich agricultural lands of approximately 243 579 hectares, with an annual average rainfall of 600mm. The rainfall in the high – lying areas, which were deeper with well drained soil, was about 1300mm per annum. Given the extent of available agricultural land and soil conditions, the province was a good candidate for the revitalisation of irrigation schemes.

 

Support given to the Umzimkulu LM by the province included 24 extension officers in 20 wards and 19 assistant extension officers operating with three government vehicles, the allocation of 5 tractors with a request made for three more additional tractors. To date three CASP projects have been started with another two envisaged for the 2012/13 financial year. The projects are:

 

§ Malenge Irrigation Scheme – the project is a grain and vegetable producing project situated on 280 hectares of land. A budget of R 1,5 million rand was set aside to support the 52 farmers participating in the project;

 

§ Umzimkulu Wool Growers – to date four sheep shearing sheds have been built with 2 more planned. The department assists with the proving the infrastructure and has also entered in partnership with the National Wool Growers Association (NWGA) to assist with animal and wool quality improvement. A link has also been established to the BKB for access to the wool market, with the DAE&RD exploring the possibility of establishing the project in the meat industry as well;

 

§ DMT C o-operative Project – the project is essentially vegetable and essential oil producing project situated on 25 hectares of arable land of which 8 hectares utilised for irrigation purposes, 10 hectares for vegetable production and looking planting of rosemary and geranium plants on 15 hectares. The project was funded through CASP with irrigation infrastructure and inputs , with the intention of employing 20 people.

 

§ The Ntukwana poultry and Bonrad piggery projects will commence in the 2012 / 13 financial year.

 

2.1.3 Comments by the National Department of Rural D evelopment and L and R eform (DRDLR)

 

The DRDLR explained that ownership and registration of land posed a serious challenge as there are; no clear distinction between state and municipal land; no clear indication of what and how much land is held in trust for communities; double ownership of land; overlapping disputes; boundary disputes; and unregistered state land which proves to be the biggest problem as majority of the land belongs to the state. The DRDLR is currently conducting a Land Audit, dealing mainly with ownership of land which will be completed by June 2012 and has also appointed a service provider to audit all agricultural land.

 

The department also acknowledges that the process of validating and verifying land ownership is further complicated by disputes with the various tribal authorities.

 

2.1.4 Challenges and constraints

 

The municipality is currently faced with a spatial planning and environmental management challenges w here there are no up to date spatial developmental frameworks or town planning schemes. Spatial Planning of the municipality was only initiated after the municipality was re-integrated with Kwa Z ulu N atal (KZN) and t he municipality also does not have any environmental planning tools in place.

 

At present, 80% of the town lies within the 1 : 50 year flood lines, which has obvious planning and management implications. This further impacts on the g rowth and development of the Central Business District ( CBD ) , as any and all developments will have to be outside of the floodline, which gives rise to new challenges as all that land is privately owned. A factor further complicating matters is that no proper land audit of the municipal area has not been completed recently , delaying any and all develo pments, because of arising land disputes . The Municipality is also attempting to relocate the CBD.

 

The L ocal E conomic D evelopment (LED) strategy of the municipality is also outdated, and there is no integrated agricultural development plan in place. Because of this, SMME’s and informal traders have no facilities to sell their products, thereby creating a problem for small scale farmers to sell goods to their own and surrounding communities. Without a proper LED strategy and proper municipal planning it is virtually impossible to integrate any municipal level project with government departments and other stakeholders. Because the municipality is in a rural area, it is difficult for the municipality to generate its own revenue, thus making it heavily dependant on grants for the development of the area.

 

The current b udgetary constraints and land ownership within the municipality is a major concern as it negatively affects long term plans of the municipality that are underway to re-develop the CBD outside of the floodline. At present, R50 million has been received from National Treasury over a three year period for the relocation of the CBD, but this figure is insufficient to complete the process. The difference in planning and financial management systems between the EC and KZN and the shifting of the municipality between the two has created delays in project planning and implementation in order to adjust to municipal governance changes.

 

The following key challenges were raised by the Department of Water Affairs

 

· Shortfall in funding to meet the 2014 backlog eradication targets

· Critical shortage of technical capacity

· Poor performance in the blue and green drop evaluations and poor waste water quality and management

· The lack of performance of the DM as a WSP is of concern.

· The RBIG project has been delayed by the WSA from January 2009, and there concerns related to the failure of the funding and long term water provision agreements

· There are significantly high water losses in Kokstad which can be reduced by implementing WC/WDM measures

· Conjunctive use of water should be applied in the Sisonke DM to optimise use of the available local surface water supplies in such areas as Kokstad, Bulwer and Ixopo

· Additional water required to meet the demands in Bulwer and Ixopo areas can be met by developing storage in the Mzimkulu River . This will come at a significant cost with limited capacity of sufficient revenue from the schemes

· Bulk water supply infrastructure needs to be developed to meet future water requirements in the DM

· For the outlying rural communities groundwater is considered as the most viable option to meet domestic water requirements

 

2.1.5 Issues raised by the Delegation

 

§ Agricultural Projects – The delegation enquired as to extent of youth participation in

projects and how they wer e assisted by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and

Fisheries (DoAFF). The department was also questioned on the support given to co-

operatives, especially on why emerging farmers are kept waiting for farming

implements and materials. The roll out and allocation of tractors, under the

Presidential outreach programme was raised, as communities were complaining that

tractors were given to them with no ploughs, diesel or training in how to operate

the equipment.

 

The delegation raised concern s about why the department was using the agricultural

development fund to create seasonal job opportunities and not create agricultural

opportunities where people can become self sustainable and they can remain

employed all year round. The members were interested in ascertaining whether the

department was receiving value for their investment, in terms of agricultural

development and job opportunities, other than just creating seasonal work for

farmers.

 

§ Water supply – The delegation questioned the department about the access to basic water and sanitation services and the rate of success in providing this basic service to the people in the municipality. The members enquired as to what plans the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) had to address the issue of water shortages in the area, where the main water source is situated in the area and referring to the possibility of building a dam to service the area. Lack of time frames was also a major concern for the delegation, asking the DWA, why there are no time frames attached to all interventions mentioned.

 

§ Land Claims – The issue surrounding land claims, land audits and restitution featured prominently during the discussion session as it had a direct impact on development and the establishment of agricultural projects in the area. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) were asked why there are such a high number of un-resolved claims, the reasons for the delays and what mechanisms the department have put in place to expedite claims. The municipality was also queried as to why a proper land audit was never compiled or why they never solicited the assistance of the department in this regard. The members stated that even if the municipality was once part of the EC, records should exist as to the ownership of land and that the DRDLR should be asked to assist in transferring these records from the EC to KZN.

 

§ Lack of Environmental Ca pacity – The members needed clarity on how the municipality intended to deal with matter involving Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) process during its development of the area, when in fact its environmental tools and process e s are non existent. What decision making tools will then be used for EIA’s?

 

§ Lack of economic development forum – The municipality’s lack of a forum dealing with economic development was also of concern to the delegation, as they questioned how small scale farmers and SMME’s are going to be assisted. Ultimately, how will the municipality develop itself, in the absence of a economic development forum that would plan its economic future.

 

2.1.6 Recommendations

 

1. The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the provincial Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development must provide a report on the tractor roll-out programme and the extension support provided to agricultural projects and co-operatives in the Sisonke District Municipality and Umzimkhulu local municipality respectively.

2. The Department of Water Affairs to provide the statistics on the backlogs for basic water provision for the Sisonke District Municipality and the Umzimkhulu local muni cipality and the plans in place to address the water shortages in the medium and long term.

3. The national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform must provide the latest statistics with regards to the outstanding land claims and the reasons for the delays in processing the land claims in the Sisonke District and Umzimkhulu local municipality.

4. The national Department of Environmental Affairs and the provincial Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development to provide an action plan with milestones and timeframes on the development of environmental management decision making tools for environmental impact assessments and spatial planning.

 

2.2 Mnquma L ocal M unicipality (LM)

 

Mnquma LM is one of the local municipalities situated in the OR Tambo District Municipality , comprised of three towns, Gcuwa, Ngqamakhwe and Centane. The municipality is situated in a very rural area with a population of approximately 300 000 which also has high unemployment levels and low levels of education and development.

 

The municipality is ideally located in the N2 corridor, a gateway to the Wild Coast where the coastal part of Centane is going to be declared a maize belt and citrus area. As prescribe d by section 152 (c) of the Constitution , the municipality has a Master Plan for 2025 to provide a long term framework to improve the quality of life through economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

 

The first phase of the Master Plan Vision 2025 which will be implemented from 2009 – 2014 focuses on:

 

— Building strong foundation for growth and poverty reduction

— An efficient road network

— A land use planning and management

— Electricity backlogs

— Education and skills training

— Food security through support on communal agriculture

 

The second phase of the ir Master Plan Vision 2025, which will be implemented between 2014 - 2019 will be focusing on a sustainable bio – region ; tourism and coastal development ; commercialise agriculture and food security. The second phase of the Master Plan Vision 2025, to be implemented during 2019 – 2025 will focus on becoming a life style region of choice; commercialised tourism; renewable energy; economic growth and poverty reduction. The municipality also identified some key development focus areas around agriculture, tourism, heritage, mining and fishing situated at Kei Bridge ; Ndabakazi; Bawa Falls ; Ngqamakhwe and Butterworth.

 

A ccording to the municipality , the main obstacle to any development and common cause for the bottlenecks is the land ownership issues resulting from land claims and lack of records identifying ownership . A subsequent problem also ar i sing from lack of land ownership records is land invasions and encroachment within the municipality .

 

2.2.1. Challenges and constraints

 

§ Infrastructure backlogs and land ownership – N o proper land audit has been done in the last decade and the huge amounts of outstanding land claims are a majo r challenge . The uncertainty of which lands belongs to government and that what is privately owned land has created such a vacuum that everything has come to a virtual standstill.

 

§ Dilapidated industrial zone – Because of the uncertainty of land ownership, economic development has been stifled, resulting in the non – investment, lack of maintenance and vandalism of the industrial zone.

 

§ Service deliv ery challenges – This remains a huge challenge in most municipalities which is a result of non communication and co-operation between departments and municipalities, differences of opinion between senior officials , and corruption. It is a common trend that municipalities do not align their IDP’s with that of national government, hence working in silo’s and not integrating themselves into the programmes of the national departments.

 

§ High level of indigence – Because of the lack of economic development, the municipality lacks the capacity to generate revenue, making it heavily dependant on indigent grants.

 

§ No centralised office park – This is as a result of the lack of economic development and investment. Currently there is a need to centralise all the municipal offices and information for improved service delivery, but due to the lack of funds, plans for expansion have to be put on hold.

 

 

2.2.2. Issues raised during discussions

 

§ Land Claims – The delegation was of the opinion that land claims have been delayed for far too long; in some cases claims have been gone un-resolved for a number of years. This delay has result ed in disputes over land, economic development and the implementation of agricultural projects. The department was asked to explain why their current procedures are proving to be ineffective and that time frames are given in addressing the matter and for the settling of outstanding claims.

 

The members reminde d the DRDLR that because land is a central issue to the

functioning of all spheres of government, the matter should be given the highest

priority in order to address the issue of land shortages, under development of the

municipali ty and the displacement of communities.

 

§ Agricultural Projects – Members queried why in the most presentations the budget allocation for each project is clearly defined but no information pertaining to beneficiaries of these projects is provided . The delegation requested the province to provide them with a detailed list of projects that were funded and how many jobs were created. The members also raised the matter of presentations highlighting successful projects, but no mention is made of failed or struggling projects, how the beneficiaries of these projects are affected and how much money was invested in these projects. Concern was also raised as to why certain projects are requesting to be funded under the RECAP programme, seeing that they were previously funded under the CASP programme.

 

§ Water Supply – The members enquired as to whether or not the municipalit y had enough water to supply current irrigation schemes and what the status of the bulk wate r supply in the area was. The issue of who benefited from the Mnq uma dam was also highlighted.

 

§ Mining – Whether or not any environmental studies were conducted to ascertain what can be mined in the area and what the long term effects and implication there are fo r the region ?

 

§ Environmental Assessments – The municipality was asked whether or not they had the capacity to conduct EIA’s and what the progress was with the current assessments.

 

§ Self Sustainability of the Municipality – As a result of the high unemployment rate within the municipality, can the municipality functions without relying on state grants.

 

§ Tourism – How was the municipality going to develop the area surrounding the Bawa falls into a tourist attraction and how the local communities would benefit from this activity?

 

2.2. 4 . Recommendations

 

1. The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the provincial Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform must provide a report on the tractor roll-out programme and the extension support provided to agricultural projects and co-operatives in the OR Tambo District Municipality and Mnquma local municipality respectively.

2. The Department of Water Affairs to provide the statistics on the backlogs for basic water provision for the OR Tambo District Municipality and the Mnquma local municipality and the plans in place to address the water shortages in the medium and long term.

3. The national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform must provide the latest statistics with regards to the outstanding land claims and the reasons for the delays in processing the land claims in the OR Tambo District and Mnquma local municipality.

4. The national Department of Environmental Affairs and the provincial Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development to provide an action plan with milestones and timeframes on the development of environmental management decision making tools for environmental impact assessments and spatial planning.

 

2.3 Nyandeni L ocal M unicipality (LM)

 

Nyandeni LM is one of the local municipalities situated in the OR T a mbo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape , incorporating a portion of former Transkei inland areas and along the Wild Coast . It comprises of two former magisterial districts of Libode and Ngqeleni and has 31 wards. The municipality spans approximately 1 280 square kilometers and has a total population of approximately 314 273 people and 58 039 households. A pproximately 66.7 % of the population lives below poverty line .

 

The municipality consists of 130 724.5 hectares of land of which 779 ha is arable and 88 945.5ha is grazing land. The municipality’s water source comes from perennial streams , such as the Mdumbi river in ward 26 and Mthakatye river in ward 25. Current changes in climate have introduced noticeable changes in rainfall patterns which adversely affect the river flows, which normally get rainfall between October and April. The municipality has very few commercial livestock farmers as most rural communities traditional ly recognise ownership of livestock as a sign of wealth , thus livestock are seldom sold or slaughtered.

 

The municipality partnered with ASGISA in the Eastern Cape and the Ntinga Development Agency for the implementation of Maize production programme in the following areas:

§ Mhlanga ( ward 31) - 100 hectares

§ Sibangweni (ward 10) – 100 hectares

§ Mtyu (ward 15) – 100 hectares

§ Coza (ward 3) – 100 hectares

 

The partnership did not yield any positive results as late ploughing and delayed cultivati on as a result of high rainfall ultimately result ed in too little crops being harvested. The municipality also supported small vegetable gardens targeting women, youth and disabled people , each of which were funded to the tune of R 40 000 for the purchasing of inputs and equipment, but to date some of these projects have failed.

 

It is the intention of the Nyandeni municipality to secure 10 000 hectares of land for maize production, of which only 3 000 hectares has been acquired. The reason for securing such a vast stretch of land was to ensure maximum optimal utilisation of the milling plant that i s envisaged for the area. But, due to the lack of infrastructure development in the municipality , agriculture sector development has suffered.

 

The municipality has also made interventions in the Mdlankomo Dairy project, as it will receive the support of the communities, the municipality, Eastern Cape Development Corporation and private investor/partner. A business plan was developed for the project and it was estimated that an amount of R24 791 500.00 was need to fund this project, of which R5 895 000.00 will be a contribution from a private partner and R18 896 500 will have to be funded by the community. The land earmarked for the project is approximately 306 ha of land of which 136 ha will be used for irrigation purposes.

 

Several land claims in the area have been finalised with claimants having received compensation, these include :

• Moyeni - Mdlankomo – Mamfengwini – Tyarha – situated in ward 8

• Maqanyeni – situated in ward 21

• Hluleka – situated in ward 20

 

2.3.1. Challenges and constraints

 

The Nyandeni local municipality is mostly dependant on farming and the income it receives from the various governments grants. The agricultural sector in this municipality has not progressed much in terms of development as economic development and investment in this area has been lacking , leading to lack of infrastructure development as well . As was the case in the Mnquma local municipality, land ownership or in some cases the lack of it has played a vital role in the economic development of the area, thus affecting agricultural development , agricultural development and eco tourism . This lack of agricultural development has created a situation in which rural farming communities are reliant solely on government farming grants and not being given the opportunity to become self sufficient / sustainable.

 

The lack of water is a major factor in agriculture area as none of the agricultural projects initiated by government, municipality or the community are sustainable without a constant and frequent supply of water. There are currently no dams, bulk water infrastructure or irrigation schemes in the area , with no immediate plans to build any.

Thus, without the presence of any infrastructure, dams, irrigations schemes and unresolved land ownership issues, it is unlikely that any large project initiated in this area will be a success. However, as was raised in discussions with other municipalities, was the possibility of tapping into underground water for the establishment of individual or communal food gardens within rural communities.

 

Highlighted in the presentation of the municipality, funding was required for:

 

· Fencing

· Irrigation schemes

· Dams and water storage

· Abbatoir, shearing sheds and dip tank infrastructure.

· Bridges

· Eco tourism and conservation projects (Mlengane and Ntlangano)

Most of the projects mentioned in the presentation had business plans already drafted, costing the project, but without proper financial planning which left projects such as the maize scheme with no allocation for the planting and harvesting of crops and the chicken project that did not budget properly for electricity. Fencing of arable and grazing land was at times also not budgeted for.

 

2.3.2. Issues raised by the Delegation

 

§ Agricultural Projects – Members querie d why projects are started and then left incomplete when a business plan which was initially drafted highlighted all the costs and expenditures of these projects. Did project members and consultants not take into consideration that the initial capital allocation into the project would not cover all the running costs and that provision should be made that a percentage of profits made should be re-invested into the projects. Alternative funding in the form of partnerships and low interest loans were also discussed as a possibility to addressing the issue of funding projects.

 

§ Infrastructure development – The delegation wanted to ascertain from the national departments present, how they were going to assist the municipality in addressing the infrastructure backlog and service delivery issues as this was having an immediate effect on any long term projects. Long term agricultural projects were especially affected by the absence of any dams or irrigation schemes as these projects would require a constant supply of water.

 

§ Assistance to small scale agricultural projects – The availability and role of extension officers with regards to rendering assistance to communities and households who are running small scale projects. Time frames surrounding the implementation of projects were also raised.

 

§ Lack of communication – There was a clear indication that proper communication between the municipality and departments needed to be addressed as this was impacting negatively on projects.

 

§ Water Supply – The members enquired as to whether or not the municipality had enough water to supply current irrigation schemes and what the status of the bulk water supply in the area was. The issue of who benefited from the Quma dam was also highlighted.

 

2.3.3. Recommendations

 

1. The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the provincial Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform must provide a report on the number and location of the agriculture projects and the extension support provided to the projects and co-operatives in the OR Tambo District Municipality and Nyandeni local municipality respectively.

2. The Department of Water Affairs to provide the statistics on the backlogs for basic water provision for the OR Tambo District Municipality and the Nyandeni local municipality and the plans in place to address the water shortages in the medium and long term.

3. The Department of Water Affairs to provide details on the bulk infrastructure plan for OR Tambo District Municipality and the Nyandeni local municipality

 

2.4 Port St John’s L ocal M unicipality (LM)

 

The Port St John’s (PSJ) LM is located in the Eastern Cape (Coastal area of the former

Transkei) approximately 90 km east of Mthatha and is under the jurisdiction of OR Tambo district municipality, where the urban population is mainly situated in Port St John’s and the surrounding rural areas. It is bordered by the following local municipalities of Qaukeni LM to the north, Nyandeni LM to the left and King Sabata Dalindyebo LM to the south. The PSJ municipality comprises of 16 wards and has a total area of 1239 square kilometers (8800 hectares).

 

Due to the rural nature of the area, high-density residential areas are not prevalent, although in some developed areas they are high, with t he highest population concentration is found in the rural villages . Low-density residential settlements are found in Port St. John’s town and second beach. Most residential developments are found in the rural villages .

 

The PSJ is one of the municipalities with the highest levels of poverty, illiteracy and

unemployment in the Eastern Cape , with approximately 96% of the population unemployed . The municipality has limited employment opportunities , increasing the need for welfare and indigent support in the municipality.

 

The municipality consists of 20 wards, 39 councilors and 8 traditional leaders in council.

 

 

2.4. 1 . Visit to Phahlakazi

 

2.4. 2 . Challenges and constraints

 

During discussions with the community members of Ward 1 at Phahlakazi , it emerged that the lack of water was having a negative impact on the area, resulting in huge sanitation backlogs and the lack of farming opportunities. Because the area was situated in a deeply remote part, there are no suitable access roads and bridges, making the area inaccessible for any vehicle other than a four wheel drive.

 

Those communities living closer to the coast were complaining about the fishing rights, and the fact that they do not get given allocation rights which could create work opportunities for themselves. All other challenges raised, pertained to other committees were noted for referral to the relevant select committee, such as the shortage of nurses and teachers, lack of suitable roads and bridges to nearby hospitals and clinics, lack of transport, and lack of recreational facilities for the youth.

 

Noticeably the most important challenge of all was the lack of follow-up done by the departments, as most all rural communities complain that departmental officials only appear when politicians visit the area.

 

2.4. 3 . Issues raised by the Delegation

 

§ Food Gardens – Members queried officials from the department of agriculture as to why no support was given to communities to establish small individual or communal food gardens. The issue of water for these gardens could be addressed by tapping into the underground water sources or rain water harvesting.

 

§ Water supply – The delegation wanted to know from the department what was being done to supply the area with water and what the time frame for this would be. The department was also asked what was being done to make water that is sourced from local rivers, safe for human consumption before a disease outbreak occurs. At the moment there has been a few recorded cases where children have contracted some or other water-borne disease.

 

§ Sanitation – T he issue of water is closely linked with sanitation , b ecause of the lack of bulk water infrastructure, there is a huge sanitation backlog.

 

2.4. 4 . Response by the Department of Agriculture

 

Mr Ngxishe , the Head of the Department from the department of agriculture responded by informing the meeting about the various projects initiated and assistance rendered by the departments, such as:

· Immunization of animals

· Starter packs for v egetables g ardening

· Maize projects

· CASPO is active

· A Dairy in ward 7 is in progress

 

Mr. Ngxishe’s report to the meeting was very vague , which prompted the leader of the delegation Ms Qikani to request him to give a detailed report on all projects initiated and assistance rendered in W ard 1 . Ms Qikani also informed Mr. Ngxishe that at least one project should be implemented and running by the Committees ne x t visit.

 

2.4. 5 . Response by the Department of Water Affairs

 

Mr. Mbambisa from the Department of W ater A ffairs (DWA) informed the meeting that the department was facing huge challenges when dealing with the O.R.Tambo District Municipality . He explained that the water supply to the PSJ municipality was far better when under the authority of the DWA than now. He further informed the meeting that the water and sanitation budget of O.R.Tambo DM is always returned unspent and that the DM is always under spending. Hence, 70 % of the population have no water and 75 % are left with no sanitation.

 

2.4. 6 . Response from the O.R.Tambo Distric t Municipality

 

Mr. Poyo from the O.R.Tambo district municipality (operation and m aintenances services ) reported that the regional scheme s , namely the Mzimvubu and Mdlankala scheme are working , wh il s t the PSJ b ulk scheme is not working due to the difficulty in transferring water from the Umzimvubu River .

He admitted that Ward 1 has no water , stating that Phahlakazi is currently busy with a water survey study and that the protection of springs and water supply tanks filled with water are also on the programme.

 

2.4. 7 . Recommendations

 

1. The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the provincial Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform must provide a report on the number and location of the agriculture projects and the extension support provided to the projects and co-operatives in the OR Tambo District Municipality and Port St Johns local municipality respectively.

2. The Department of Water Affairs to provide the statistics on the backlogs for basic water provision for the OR Tambo District Municipality and the Port St Johns local municipality .

3. The Department of Water Affairs to provide the plans in place to address the water shortages specifically regarding the Umzimvubu and Mdlankala irrigation schemes and the Port St John bulk water scheme in the medium and long term.

4. The Department of Water Affairs to provide details on the bulk infrastructure plan for OR Tambo District Municipality and the Nyandeni local municipality

 

2.4.8. Visit to Second Beach (Shark Attacks)

 

The delegation met at the P o rt St Johns local municipality town hall for a public meeting to discuss the issues of increased shark attacks on second beach. During discussions it emerged that due to a lack of funds, the O.R.Tambo DM could no longer employ the life guards at the beaches , as from 2005. The municipality then entered into an agreement with the Department of Roads and Transport ( DoRT ) for funding from 2008 to 2011 to fund the life guards at the beaches. This agreement did not last long, eventually failing because the DoRT did not honour the agreement and the service provider was not paid.

 

The PSJ municipality has a total of eight beaches that require the services of life guards as these beaches are frequented by local as well as domestic and international tourist s, especially during the holiday seasons.

 

During this time sporadic shark attacks occurred , became more frequent and in 2008/9 the Department of Environmental Affairs (DoEA) was asked to intervene. Between 2004 and 2012, eight shark attacks have occurred. In 2004 a non fatal attack occurred, with the same person fatally attacked in 2007, with an escalation in 2009 when three people were fatally attacked. In 2011 t he DoEA then commissioned the Natal Sharks Board (NSB) to investigate the cause for the rise in shark attacks , who in their initial assessment discovered that the Mzimvubu river that flows into the ocean is a nursery and breeding area for the Zambezi sharks . These sharks are by nature very aggressive and would be more so during breeding season . The reason these sharks attack so close to shore is that they can swim in very shallow (knee high) water. It was also discovered that second beach is being used by traditional healers and churches for the ceremonial slaughter of animals . With the increase in the occurrence of these traditional practices, it is proposed that the blood could be attracting more sharks to the area . .

 

The DoEA committed themselves to ensure that the research conducted by the NSB to investigate thorough ly the causes of the attacks and what can be done to minimise and mitigate these attacks. The research is currently underway and will be made available to the Committee and municipality as soon as it has been concluded.

 

2.4.9. Challenges and constraint s

 

The main challenge at second beach would be to relocate bathers and those performing cultural practices to a suitable stretch of beach inaccessible to the sharks. In the case of bathers, the possibility of creating a tidal pool was previously discussed but temporarily put on hold due to financial constraints. No suitable solution has yet been found to accommodate the users that practice their culture and tradition .

 

The issue of erecting shark nets was also previously discussed with the DoEA who stated that the erection of these nets would not be feasible as there are no suitable places to anchor them down at second beach and also because the nets would not be effective as the Zambezi sharks swim in very shallow water . Even if the nets were erected, the cost of maintaining them would be high, as a dedicated team of experts would have to be permanently employed and equipped to inspect the nets on a daily basis for them to be effective. The costs of maintaining these nets would most likely not be financially viable for the municipality. Furthermore the rough seas will also be difficult in maintaining the integrity of the shark nets, as many species will be let through during rough seas.

 

2.4.10. Issues raised by the delegation

 

The members questioned officials from the DoEA as to when the study on the shark attacks will be concluded and if the DoEA would be able to fund the construction of the tidal pool at second beach. The DoEA was also asked to, to develop a long term plan to address the issues surrounding second beach after the study is concluded .

 

2.4.11. Other issues raised by stakeholders during the meeting at Port St Johns Local Municipality

 

§ Caguba land – The Caguba community could not get their land back and to date not everyone has received compensation.

 

§ Mkhanzini land claim – T he claim was lodged in 1995 but to date not finalised. Correspondence was sent to the then Deputy Minister who stated that the matter would be resolved in the 2011 budget, with no finality to date.

 

§ Majola land claim – The claimants received back their land, but have received no post settlement support. The claimants wish the DoAFF and DRDLR to intervene and assist them in developing the land so that they may become self sufficient.

 

§ Status of the tea factory – The tea factory was purchased by the then Department of Land Affairs for claimants of the Majola land claim as part of a settlement deal. The claimants now want the department to intervene as the factory is in financial difficulty and in dire need of upgrading as well as lacking the necessary technical and managerial skills to manage the factory.

 

§ Infrastructure backblocks in P ort S t J ohns – Ratepayers raised the issue of infrastructure backblocks and how the municipality intends addressing the matter.

 

§ A quac ulture farming – People from the fishing community appealed for assistance in establishing an aquaculture farm.

 

2.4.1 2 . Recommendations

 

1. The national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform must provide the latest statistics with regards to the outstanding land claims and the reasons for the delays in processing the land claims in the OR Tambo District and Port St Johns local municipality.

2. The national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform must provide a report on the progress made on the Caguba, Mkhanzini, Majola land claims, in the Port St Johns area.

3. The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the provincial Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform must provide a report on the number and location of the agriculture projects and the extension support provided to the projects and co-operatives in the OR Tambo District Municipality and Port St Johns local municipality respectively.

4. The Department of Environmental Affairs to provide a complete report with an action plan to address the increase in shark attacks on Second Beach in the Port St Johns municipality.

5. The Department of Environmental Affairs to provide a feasibility study on the potential of aquaculture farms in the Port St Johns area.

 

R eport to be considered.