Zukile Majova
Esigamekweni sokwebiwa kukagesi, abahlali base-Highway Gardens e-East London e-Buffalo City Metro bakhe uphiko olukhulu lokuphakela ugesi olungekho emthethweni ovela kwi-transformer yakwa-Eskom eyebiwe.
Ngenkathi kufika amaphoyisa ezonqamula i-transformer engu-11 KW, kwaqubuka ingxabano ngesikhathi abahlali benqaba ukunikela ngogesi wabo ngaphandle kwempi.
Isixhumanisi sikagesi esinamandla, esiyingozi kakhulu sixhunywe phakathi emikhukhwini, ngaphandle kokubhekelela izimpilo zabahlali basemjondolo. I-transformer ibibiyelwa ngezicucu ezindala zikathayela ukuyifihlela amaphoyisa nabaphathi bakwa-Eskom.
Amakhulu abahlali namabhizinisi ayishumi nambili asele ebumnyameni ngemuva kokuthi i-Metro inqamule ugesi kule ndawo.
NgeSonto amaphoyisa amabili kaMasipala ephelezelwa yizikhulu ze-Revenue Protection azithole esedlulwa yizakhamuzi ngesibalo esiyishumi nambili ebezibavimbela ukunqamula ugesi okungekho emthethweni.
Ividiyo yalokhu kuxabana – esabalala ezinkundleni zokuxhumana – ikhombisa amaphoyisa nabahlali bebanga izintambo zagesi ezingekho emthethweni.
Okhulumela i-Buffalo City Metro uSamkelo Ngwenya uthe: “Ividiyo yokuqala ikhombisa abantu abakhipha amakhebuli emotweni kamasipala. Ividiyo yesibili ikhombisa abomthetho be-BCM bezama ukuthatha ikhebuli nokuhilizisana namalungu omphakathi.”
Ngokungafani nezinye izimpi eziningi ezibandakanya abahlali abathukuthele namaphoyisa, izikhulu zenqabile ukunqotshwa yisixuku noma ukusebenzisa izibhamu.
“La maphoyisa ahlale ngaphansi komthetho esebenzisa amandla amancane asebenzisa i-pepper spray futhi akhipha isibhamu kuphela uma isimo sishuba.
“Lesi sigameko sikhombisa ubunzima benkinga umasipala obhekene nayo empini eshubile yokulwa nokweba, ukucekelwa phansi kwempahla nokuxhunywa okungekho emthethweni kagesi,” kusho uNgwenya.
Umasipala ugasele emalokishini ahlukene nasemijondolo endaweni okuholele ekucekelweni phansi kwezindawo zokuxhuma ugesi ezingekho emthethweni ezingaba ngama-950.