Kenton under Siege

by | Feb 23, 2022 | Blog, Newsletters | 6 comments

As a community you could at times be forgiven for thinking we exist in an impenetrable bubble. From KOSRA’s perspective, scrape the surface just lightly and you will see significant cracks emerging in most aspects that affect our lives: 

  • Water 
  • Infrastructure such as roads, sanitation,  soak-aways and the poor service delivery around conservancy tanks 
  • Security 
  • Town planning.  

KOSRA is active in regard to each one of these issues and we need your support. 

Water

Thankfully for the December rains, many of our visitors were not exposed to the underlying problem related to the chronically inadequate production of fresh water in Kenton and surrounding communities. The facts are a severe lack of skills at municipal, provincial and Amatola level to effectively manage and maintain the desalination plant.

Water related infrastructure has all but collapsed in places (parts of Merry Hill have had not had water at all for more than 70 continuous days), Norfolk Ridge has had no water for many months – we in the rest of Kenton are not far behind as the infrastructure has lacked years of maintenance. For example, you may have noticed the water line that has leaked for many months and continues to leak precious water from the desalinization and borehole reservoirs.

KOSRA is active on this issue virtually everyday, with the related organisations, BRRAG, The Chamber and Estuary Care. Countless hours are spent interacting with community representatives, Ndlambe, Amatola and the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Roads

Need we say more. The tragedy which is SA, potholes and ill-maintained roads are sadly considered the norm in Kenton.

KOSRA is in a constant process of engagement with Ndlambe to bring about even small improvements against a limited budget.

Sanitation

You are all aware on countless occasions the honey sucker does not arrive. Sewage pump stations repeatedly fail, raw sewage runs into our beautiful rivers and sewage leaks are evident in many places.

KOSRA finds it necessary to serve as the “sewage police” reporting and following up on the pollution crises that become evident all too often.

Security

As in all parts of SA, security is an issue. Our police force remain under-staffed, under- provided and under- skilled making security the responsibility of the community.

KOSRA is playing an ever-increasing role interacting with our sister organisations and assisting with the coordination of security initiatives.

Town Planning

A number of questionable developments (good and bad) have raised their heads. This requires legal intervention to ensure we maintain the integrity of the village we so wish to live in.

Call for action

First step – Please join KOSRA

We need residents to sign up and support KOSRA.  Here’s how.

Second step – Volunteer your services

To address all the above-mentioned challenges KOSRA needs skilled volunteers. (Town planners, legal assistance, engineers, ward representative and anyone willing to offer services).

In closing – if you are reading this and you are a KOSRA member please motivate your friends and neighbors to join. Secondly if you are not a KOSRA member and reading this. Please know without financial resources and competent representatives our bubble will burst.

KENTON-ON-SEA RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION

6 Comments

  1. Thank you all your continuous efforts on our behalf to ensure that Kenton remains the
    best-kept secret for the finest of holidays. I cannot believe what an appallingly low percentage of property owners belong to KOSRA and think it’s a selfish trend in society today and I call on all non-members to join the Association which will enable KOSRA to take extra action to maintain Kenton’s standards.

  2. I am not sure if I am a paid up member for the current year.

  3. How about a one way system on the main street over the Holiday period. Make use of the route passed the post office and have a one
    Way loop.
    Keep up the good work we are happy to support you.

  4. How about a withholding of rates from the Municipality and pay them into a trust account. Funds from this account might be utilised to meet all the required services mentioned. I understand this is probably illegal and I think was debated some years ago but maybe it is time to consider it again.

  5. Isn’t it time that Kenton’s ratepayers took action against Ndlambe as ratepayers in other areas have done? As a house owner in Kenton, I pay almost R50k pa in rates but get very little for it. Where does the money go? Inflated salaries for excessive staff that don’t appear to be able to do their jobs and who are not held to account for anything. Widespread incompetence with no credible plan to address it. There does not seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.

    Whist I accept that some of the money we pay has to support “transformation “, surely there’s a limit? If the situation does not improve, Kenton will die. We’re well in the way.

    As a start, KOSRA should survey residents to see how they feel. If we all act together, we can fix this mess.

  6. Sewer

    I have a current business, we do sewer
    What if I assist with the tipping of the sewer

    What is the state of the current sewage plant

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