It might not have been under ideal conditions, but Ntombizine Mtengwane was happy when she and her family were moved to temporary houses by authorities after a violent altercation between Mthatha’s Tipini residents and the Waterfall township community in 2012. This was after thousands of Tipini residents, who had turned an old dumpsite into a thriving shack-dwelling community, were accused by their neighbours of harbouring dangerous criminals.
In keeping with mayor Nyaniso Nelani’s dream of turning Mthatha into another Kigali, the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipality is buying 100 additional dustbins for the Eastern Cape town. Though many Mthatha streets already have dustbins, residents and businesses have called for more to keep the town centre clean.
Twenty-five people were killed and many others injured inroad accidents in the EasternCape over the Easter weekend. Dozens of people were arrested in Buffalo City Metro and King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality for offences ranging from drunk driving and obstruction, to driving an unlicensed motor vehicle, jumping a red traffic light, overloading and driving without a valid driver’s licence.
Under-fire King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal bosses have admitted that 50% of the buildings in Mthatha were not compliant with health and safety regulations and standards. And despite several buildings going up in smoke under mysterious circumstances since 2021, the municipality has also admitted it does not have a bylaw on fire prevention.
Despite the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality boasting the third-largest economy in the Eastern Cape, it has been branded “currently financially and administratively dysfunctional”. The municipality also has a low population density and limited economic development and comprises about 90% traditionally rural areas.