A crucial cog of local government, the offices of councillors throughout Nelson Mandela Bay are in a state of disrepair with the estimated cost for repair and maintenance sitting at more than R16m.
Issues range from damaged roofs, leaking toilets and faulty lights to mould, deteriorated paintwork and broken gates.
The municipality wants to install CCTV cameras and alarm systems linked to armed response to stop vandalism of the offices even though there are budgetary constraints.
A report meant to be tabled at a corporate services committee meeting on Tuesday revealed all 60 ward offices, some of which are privately owned, require repair work due to vandalism and a general lack of maintenance.
The meeting was postponed due to the lack of a quorum after ANC councillor Lulama Ngwane fell ill.
Vandals, as well as cable and copper thieves, are wreaking havoc in communities in the metro.
At least one councillor has been forced to work from his vehicle because his office was badly vandalised, while another used a resident’s garage.
In a report, corporate services executive director Nosipho Xhego said a request was made to the safety and security department to supply and install alarm systems with armed response.
She said quotations had been received for most of the offices.
Some of the more derelict and neglected offices include:
- Ward 28, with about R1.05m needed to install an alarm system with armed response, for CCTV cameras, to fix a water leak, erect fencing, install an air conditioner and extend the office;
- Ward 59, with about R900,000 needed to install an alarm system with armed response, CCTV cameras, hire night-time security guards, repair a kitchen door, fix faulty plugs, paint, erect fencing, replace missing gutters and install a new electrical system.
- Ward 29, with about R700,000 needed to fix the office after it was gutted by a fire in May;
- Ward 47, with about R430,000 needed for new fencing, to replace damaged kitchen cupboards, fix window handles, buy padlocks for 12 windows and fix water leaks in two toilets;
- Ward 31, with about R220,000 needed to install an alarm system with armed response, CCTV cameras, to fix a kitchen, replace paving, repair a faulty electricity system, build a concrete ramp into the office and install a meranti door at the main entrance;
Ward 59 councillor Bulelani Matenjwa’s office has been broken into five times, with three of the incidents taking place in 2022.
The thieves stole a microwave, kettle, loud hailer and air conditioner unit, and burned some items, including documents.
“After the last break-in, we had to close the office for three weeks, which meant anyone with an emergency could not come to my office,” he said.
“We had to make arrangements and that inconvenienced everyone.
“I had to visit people’s households for more personal issues or discuss matters inside my car.”
Matenjwa said security had been hired to guard his office at night but an administrative glitch led to the guards being removed this financial year.
He said some repairs had been done, but the list was long.
Ward 31 councillor Lesline Booysen operates out of a shipping container and does not believe an alarm system could be installed inside.
“The ward’s old office was torched by residents during a service delivery protest in 2021 and has not been rebuilt since,” he said.
“When we were sworn in as councillors, I worked out of a resident’s garage for seven months, and in June last year the municipality brought an empty shipping container with windows and a door, without any office furniture and no electricity connection.”
Booysen said there was no ablution facility.
“I eventually took electricity from a neighbour’s house and I have to pay them for using it every month.
“My staff, on the other hand, have to pay R2 to use a toilet at the house across the road every time.
“I don’t need an alarm system, I need office equipment and electricity,” he said.
After the meeting, corporate services political head Yolisa Pali said an awareness campaign was needed to remind residents that the offices were for the community.
Xhego said the municipality was looking into installing alarms with armed response as well as CCTV cameras to replace watchmen hired several years ago.
The watchmen were meant to guard the offices but have since been deployed to other municipal facilities.
Funds for the renovations should be taken from the capital budget for bigger repair work such as replacing roofing, paving and fencing, and money from the operational budget should be used for quick repairs such as painting, replacing windows and fixing door handles, according to the report.
However, Xhego said the entire R16m was not available because the full amount was not allocated in the budget.
“This means we cannot attend to all the needs in the different ward offices,” she said.
“But there’s work already under way with the available funds, under the capital budget there are items that have already been approved like fencing so that will continue as planned.”
Xhego said her department often had to divert funding to repair vandalised facilities when the money was meant for something else.
She said the Noninzi Luzipho Building was vandalised at least twice a month and when repairs were not done quickly the staff were unable to work.
“We have security officials placed at the building but sometimes they get scared to check what’s going on when they hear something.
“We are looking at placing armed response there instead of our own security personnel because they are not fully capacitated to deal with criminals.”
Xhego said a progress report on what had been done so far would be presented at the next meeting.
DA councillor Rene Meyer said the vandalism of offices was often done by residents upset about service delivery and workers who were not happy that their Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) contracts were ending.
“They tend to take out their frustrations on councillors’ offices, which sometimes leads to burning.
“Other than that, it’s the general vandalism of stealing copper pipes, wires, plumbing material, and that costs the municipality a lot of money.
“It’s a huge problem that the city needs to deal with.
“In a lot of the offices, we’ve started implementing private security and installed alarm systems but we need a more permanent solution,” Meyer said.
HeraldLIVE