Mar 5 2010

ANC sidelines urgent service delivery intervention proposals

The ANC chose to vote down two DA proposals which had won the support of the MF, IFP and other mintor parties that seeked to urgently intervene in resolving dangerous safety concerns which affect the lives of eThekwini residents.

“Death Road”
Cllrs Macpherson and De Boer proposed a motion which would have seen urgent measures taken place to improve the safety of “Death Road” on the M4 Ruth First highway between Broadway and Virginia in Durban North. The proposal suggested barriers be installed to separate the lanes and Metro Police establish a permanent unit to monitor that road. The ANC dismissed the motion with contempt suggesting the proposers were not following protocol despite the numerous efforts by councillors with City officials to see action taken.

The Deputy Mayor went as far as suggesting the DA Cllrs were trying to further protect their “leafy suburbs” while other parts of the City were in a significantly worse condition. DA Cllr Heinz De Boer clarified that “if the Mayor chooses to admit other parts of the City are in a poor state, that is his prerogative and shows up the lack of action by the City and councillors in those area, but as the Councillors responsible for Durban North and Umhlanga, we are doing our jobs as demanded by our communities.”

“Street Lights”
Also dispatched with a stunning display of arrogance and personal attacks was the motion proposed by Cllrs Chapman and Lindsay seeking that a task team be setup comprising councillors and officials from the Metro Electricity Department to urgently address the high number of faulty street lights in the City. Lindsay contended that despite 6 months of trying to get the Electricity department to fix over 200 faulty lights in the Pinetown New Germany area, little or no action had been taken.

Chapman explained that with the FIFA World Cup coming up and noting the serious impact that poor lighting has on crime, the DA wished to see councillors working together with Electricity Department officials to resolve urgent lighting and safety issues ahead of the big event. Again the ANC, through Cllr Reddy, used protocol as their excuse to sideline this constructive proposal.

Chapman, referring to the treatment of both proposals, said that “the ANC chose cheap politics over urgently needed service delivery in what is indicative of the attitude which has seen the gradual decline in support for the ruling party and spawned service delivery protests all over the country.”

– Warwick Chapman (Cllr Ward 18) | 083 7797 094 | ward18@ethekwini.org | http://warwickchapman.com


Mar 4 2010

Durban International to King Shaka Changeover April 30/May 1 2010

Please find below a communique from ACSA regarding the pending switchover of operations from Durban International Airport in the South of Durban to the new King Shaka International Airport in the North.

Please advise travellers that on 01 May 2010 the new King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) becomes operational for all Durban-bound air travel. The existing Durban International Airport will be decommissioned; although it may be used for a temporary period during the Soccer World Cup event if required.

All flights into Durban up to and including Friday 30 April 2010 will operate from the current airport. From 01 May 2010, all flights will officially operate out of the new airport which is located approximately 35 kilometers north of the city centre.
Please factor in extra time to get to and from KSIA and bear in mind that if you are travelling in one direction before 30 April and back after 01 May, that you may need a shuttle between the two airports.

SHUTTLE SERVICE

ACSA will provide a shuttle transfer between King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) and Durban International Airport (DIA) which will cover the cost for passengers that leave cars at DIA from 01 May for one week only.
Thereafter transportation between both airports will be for the passenger’s account and they will have to arrange transfers themselves.

Source:
Jacqueline Hooijberg
ACSA Durban Airport Manager


Mar 2 2010

100 Days Gala Dinner a Wasteful Bore

Monday night’s 100 days gala dinner hosted at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC was poorly attended, boring and ultimately a wasteful event.  My rough estimate is that the event had a 50% attendance; highly embarrassing considering the Acting President Kgalema Mothlante was the main speaker.

On arrival, guests were be met by ushers with no guest lists and instead asked to write their names on a page in exchange for a gold wristband.  Any of you could have come along.  When finding a table in the main hall, a few people had seating cards and the rest of us just sat anywhere.  Thank goodness it was poorly attended!

While criticising anything 2010 is frowned upon by all, one has to ask how an event celebrating our readiness to host the event could be so poorly organised?


Jan 22 2010

Jesse Greaves’ Pinetown Aerial Photos

Hi there Warwick

I was flying with the boys from 15 Squadron last week and snapped a few awesome pictures of Pinetown, and thought since you’re the Councillor I’d email you a few of them.

Regards,
Jesse

The Old Mutual Towers on St Johns and Bamboo Lane

The Anderson and Clermont Taxi and Bus Ranks in the Hill Street area of Pinetown


Jan 20 2010

isiZulu: DA Councillor works to resolve leaking water in Kwadabeka

Note: English below.

Local community learns that the DA cares for them

Esikhathini esingaphezu kweminyaka engaphezu kuka 15, umphakathi wase Paradise Road kwaDabeka ubhekene nenkinga yamanzi avuzela cishe emizini eyisithupha. Imizamo yabo yokuthola uMasipala kanye nekhansela lendawo ukuba bangenelele, ayiphumelelanga.

Ngokufunda ephephandabeni ukuthi iKhansela lasePinetown ukuthi libizwa “ngomalungisa e Pinetown”, umhlali wakwaDabeka ube esexhumana noKhansela u Warwick Chapman ngenhloso yokuthola usizo.

uKhansela Chapman ulusukumele ngokushesha loludaba wavakashela indawo yakwaDabeka izikhathi eziningi ngenhloso yokuzibonela izinkinga zomphakathi waze wathatha nezithombe. U Chapman ube eseluthatha loludaba waludlulisela emnyangweni wezamanzi kuMasipala okwenze ukuthi nawo umnyango uhambele lendawo izikhathi cishe ezine. Lokho kuholele ekutheni ezimbili zalezindlu zilungiswe, ezinye ezimbili kutholakale ukuthi zinabanikazi abazimele ngakho babesebaziswa ukuthi kumele bazilungisele.
Noma kusobala ukuthi umphakathi walendawo usulahle ithemba ukuthi izinkinga zawo zizolungiseka, kodwa uKhansela Chapman uzibophezele ukubona izinsiza nentuthuko ifinyelela kubantu.

“Lenkinga ngizoyibeka ohlelweni lwezinkinga ezidinga ukuqashwa kube kube ziyaxazululwa. Akusikho nje ukuthi lenkinga inomthelela ekulahlekeni kwamanzi alinganiselwa ku 40% kuMasipala, kudwa ihlukumeza nesimo sokuhlala emphakathini, ilimaza amakhaya futhi ibeke isimo sezempilo engcupheni” kusho u Cllr Chapman.

Isakhamuzi sakwaDabeka, ongama laso siligodlile, limbomge kakhulu uCllr Chapman ngokuzinikela kwakhe. “Lelizwe liyasebenza uma linabantu abafana nawe kanye nozakweni abenza umsebenzi okufanele wenzeke” kusho lesakhamuzi. “Ukuzinikela kwakho siyakuqaphela futhi nomphakathi esiwakhele uyashintsha indlela okubuka ngayo nokubona lokhu okholelwa kukho”.

Local community learns that the DA cares for them

For over 15 years members of the Paradise Road community in Kwadabeka have had to put up with a serious water leak running through at least six of their properties. Their efforts to get City water officials or their ward councillor to assist in resolving this issue have failed.

After reading in a local newspaper that the Pinetown Councillor was being referred to as ‘Pinetown’s Mr Fixit’, a resident of Kwadebeka contacted Councillor Warwick Chapman in early November 2009 to see if he could assist.
Councillor Chapman has visited the site several times to find the leak and document and photograph the extent of the issue. Chapman provided all of this information to the City’s Water department who have visited the site at least four times since the issue was reported. At least two leaks have been repaired and another two identified in private homes. The owners of these homes have been notified of their responsibility to fix the leaks
While many local residents have lost hope of this issue being resolved, Councillor Chapman is adamant that service delivery must take place.

“I will keep this issue on my list of open issues until it is resolved. Not only does this issue contribute to the nearly 40% water loss experienced by the City, but it affects the quality of life of the local residents, and it damages their buildings and creates potential health hazards,” said Chapman.

The Kwadabeka resident, whose name we have chosen to withhold, thanked Councillor Chapman for his ongoing efforts. “The only reason this country works is because of people like you and your colleagues who do the jobs that need to be done,” said the resident. “Your efforts do not go unnoticed and our communities are changing their perception of who you are and what you stand for.”