KwaNgwanase Business Forum
PRESS RELEASE
FOR INQUIRIES NAJEN MOODLEY 0824126952
The power of the Kwangwanase Business Forum
Since its inception last year the Kwangwanase Business Forum (KBF), led by a small executive committee (EXCO), has been successful in addressing issues to further development. The successes come despite functioning in a region plagued by
political agendas which hampers development.
The KBF is fighting for Kwangwanase residents and business owners, who have suffered long enough with poor electricity supply, no water, and haphazard development, complicated further by ineffective local government and party politics.
Crime
The KBF drew up a memorandum of its concerns and met with SAP Regional officials
to hand over the memorandum. Through our action additional police force were present in Manguzi and special measures were put in place to report investigate special cases. The KBF and a Tembe Tribal committee continue to work together to install crime fighting measures.
ESKOM
Next the KBF invited ESKOM to a meeting at Manguzi Tribal Hall to clarify the situation regarding electricity to Manguzi. A report compiled by the business forum shows that the losses incurred by businesses when accumelated is approximately R1.1 million monthly?
Eskom declared an embargo on all applications for electricity connections submitted after November 2004 because the existing infrastructure cannot handle the electricity demand.
Eskom also admitted an error in not budgeting and planning any developments for the region, despite documents from the community dating back to 1990 and continuous talks in recent years. Some big industrial developments for the region had to be cancelled and this is the reason our region has the worst unemployment rate in South Africa.
Eskom said a new line would cost R120 million to bring enough power to the region to meet the demand.
Through continuous pressure on ESKOM the KBF managed to highlight this issue and ESKOM will now buy electricity from Mozambique and supply it to Manguzi.
Eskom indicated that they will start with supply from Mozambique during the end of 2006 but the KBF also invited the
NER (National Electricity Regulator) to come and investigate ESKOM planning for Kwangwanase. KBF’s question to the NER on behalf of business is, why is Eskom further delaying development in Manguzi until the end of the year? We want electricity now!
WATER
Currently the KBF is trying to solve the water problem. We are asking local government why the water supply is infrequent. A meeting with Umkhanyekude was arranged at the end of February 2006. The KBF sent an agenda of concerns to the responsible person but since then Umkhanyekude Local Government has refused to meet with the KBF.
The KBF invite all business to join them and bring more issues to the table for them to tackle. In a region where public service delivery and local economic development receive no help businesses must stand together and demand the rights.
FOR INQUIRIES NAJEN MOODLEY 0824126952
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