Ingwadla kumasipala abasebenzi bekweleta u-R80.9m ngamanzi nogesi

UMASIPALA weTheku ubhekene nengwadla ngenxa yamakhansela nabasebenzi bawo abakweleta imali elinganiselwa ku-R80.9 million wezindleko zabo zanyanga zonke okubalwa ugesi, izindawo abahlala kuzona, amanzi nokunye.

Lokho kuvele embikweni wangoSepthemba, osanda kwethulwa emhlanganweni womkhandlu, lapho ikomiti lezezimali eThekwini, lidalule ukuthi isikweletu sesisonke siwu-R41 billion, okusho ukuthi senyuke ngo-R3.5 billion uma uqhathanisa nombiko wangoSepthemba, wanyakanye.

Lo mbiko uveze ukuthi isikweleti samanzi sithathe u-40% wemali ekweletwayo, kuthi izindleko zama-rates nezikagesi zona zathatha u-24% no-15% ngokwehlukana kwazo.

Umasipala udalule ukuthi lezi zikweleti zeyamene nenkinga yobubha, indlala yamathuba omsebenzi, ukungangeni ngesikhathi esifanele kwezinkokhelo ezivela kuhulumeni nokungabi bikho kohlelo lokusebenzisa ugesi owuthengile kuphela, okwenza ukuthi kube nemizi ezixhumela ugesi ngokungemthetho.

Kulesi sikweletu sabasebenzi bakamasipala sangoSepthemba, wanonyaka, kuno-R2.3 million obhalwe egameni lamakhansela awu-47, bese kuba ngabasebenzi bakamasipala abenza imisebenzi ehlukene abangu-4 449 abakweleta u-R78 million. Ngokwesizindalwazi sikamasipala, sebebonke abasebenzi bomkhandlu balinganiselwa ku-24 000. Lokhu kusho ukuthi cishe ikota yabasebenzi iyehluleka wukukhokhela izidingongqangi. Esewonke amakhansela eThekwini angu-222, okusho ukuthi awumthamo obhekile abishe ezikweletwini njengoba engu-47 akweletayo.

Lo masipala ophethwe yiMeya uCyril Xaba, udalule nokuthi abasebenzi namakhansela abakweletayo bafakwe ohlelweni lokuthi kulungiswe lokho - olubandakanya ukuthi bacishelwe ugesi namanzi, kwalandelwa nezinyathelo ezithile zomthetho futhi bacetshiswa ngokuthi basebenzise izinsuku zabo zokuphumula emsebenzini ukuzama ukunciphisa noma ukwesula izikweleti zabo.

Ikhansela laku-ward 23 eThekwini, uNksz Alicia Kisson, lithe lo mbiko wezikweleti uyisexwayiso nenkomba yokubhimba kohlelo lwezezimali.

"Lokhu kuzokwenza ukuthi kuphele ukwethenjwa kwethu emphakathini futhi lo mbiko uqinisekisa lokho ngoba asibajezisi abantu abangasebenzi nabathwele kanzima ukuthi bakhokhe imali abayikweletayo," usho kanje.

Usihlalo weThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement, uMnuz Asad Gaffar, uthe enye yezinto abacabanga ukuthi ziholele kule nkinga wukumba eqolo kwezindleko zanyanga zonke, okwenza ukuthi abasebenzi bakamasipala bathwale kanzima ukuzikhokha.

“Okunye futhi wukuthi abasebenzi namakhansela abanendaba nokukhokhela izindleko futhi abazi nokuthi kuba njani uma bengazikhokhanga - bese kuba ukuthi vele akukho zinyathelo ezitheni abathathelwa zona ngalokhu,” kusho uGaffar.

Kuthintwa ikhansela leDemocratic Alliance, uMnuz Thabani Mthethwa, lithe likholelwa ekutheni akumele kube khona abasebenzi namakhansela abakweleta umasipala ekubeni kuyibona futhi abashaya le mithetho.

“Yiphutha elikhulu ukuthi abantu abashaya umthetho kube yibona futhi abawephula kuqala, ngakho akuqiniswe umthetho kakhulu kulabo abephula umthetho ukuze bezofunda ukuba ngabaholi abaqotho,” kusho uMthethwa.

USihlalo we-Action SA KwaZulu-Natal, uMnuz Zwakele Mncwango, ukhombe umunwe kusotshwebhu kamasipala ukuthi wuyena okumele aqikelele ukuthi izinto ezinjena azenzeki kubhekwe phambili.

“Kuwumsebenzi wakhe nabambisene nabo ukuqikelela ukuthi izinto ezinjena azilokhu zenzeka ngoba kuyihlazo ukuthi kuhujwe abantu ukuthi bakhokhe izindleko zabo zanyanga zonke ekubeni kwabona uqobo besahluleka ukwenza lokho,” kusho uMncwango.

Kuhlaluka ukuthi inkinga enkulu wuhlulelo lukamasipala lokuqagelwa kwezikweleti nxa abantu bekhokhiselwa izidingo. Kuthiwa kuyenzeka abantu bakhokhiswe kakhulu kungafanele, kokunye bakhokhiswe imali encane esikhundleni senkulu. Lokhu kudala ukudideka nokukhathazeka ebantwini ngoba bathi kade bekhokhiswa kancane kuvele kuqhanyukwe sekuthiwa bakweleta imali eshisiwe, abasuke bengenayo. Yize zikhona izinhlelo zokuthi kukhokhwe kancane izikweleti zezidingongqangi kumasipala kepha abantu bakhala ngokuthi ziyabacindezela.