Substantial progress has been made in taking over the monitoring of the camera network. Meetings have been held with all the relevant role players and community organisations. HiTec are amenable to the takeover. A body of the volunteers is being assembled to carry out the monitoring. This will be on a two-hour shift basis. Monitors will access the camera network server using a link. Cameras are set up on a “reaction” basis so that when there is no movement, the computer screen of the monitoring person will be blank. Movement will trigger one or more images appearing on the screen. Suspicious activity will be reported to HiTec for response. The scope of the monitoring will be expanded over the next few months with the aim that by December 2021 it should be operating on a 24/7 basis.

KOSRA has played an integral role in the formation of the Service Delivery Support Group (“SDSG”) consisting of 10 members including representatives of KOSRA, Bushman’s Ratepayers, Chamber of Business, and the local Ward Councillors.  The SDSG is a party to an agreement concluded with Ndlambe, Department of Water and Sanitation and Amatola which establishes and sets out the Terms of Reference (“ToR”) for the Water Management Committee which is supported by a Technical Task Teams.  The first step that is underway is gaining access to the plant, taking stock of, and assessing the difficulties with water delivery and establishing an effective working relationship with the parties to the ToR.

To date Amatola have proved to be a reluctant participant. This is because their inadequacies are being exposed. A series of meetings have been held with a view to eliciting adequate cooperation and assistance coupled with the necessary transparency to enable effective remedial steps to be taken. Initial indications are that the RO plant has been poorly maintained and is in a critical condition.  

The SDSG is very aware of the impending 2021/2022 season and the objective is to achieve adequate water delivery for all residents and visitors during the festive season, (whilst of course endeavouring to ensure continuous and effective supply throughout the year).

BUILD IT is running a special on water tanks – up your water storage! 

KOSRA has been invited to be a member of the Ndlambe Environmental Monitoring Committee which will actively participate in the monitoring of Ndlambe’s compliance with the conditions specified in the Environmental Authorisation for the project works and implementation of the approved Environmental Management Plans by reviewing audit reports prepared by the Environmental Control Officer appointed by Ndlambe.  The Kenton sand dune is an important issue but certainly not the most pressing as far as Ndlambe are concerned.  Ndlambe have appointed Warren Lange as their Environmental Control Officer and it is his primary responsibility to formulate plans for implementation which will ultimately be approved by DEDEAT.  KOSRA has engaged with Warren Lange with regard to various solutions for the sand dune with the objective of respecting the forces of nature and protecting the estuary from the possible ingress of sand from the dune.  This latter danger is the core element of the concern that KOSRA and Estuary Care have regarding the plan of the KSDNA.

Constructive discussions have been held with the Municipal Manager regarding much needed road repair and maintenance.  In principle, limited funding can be accessed from the resources of Ndlambe to cover the cost or contribute to the cost of various urgent repairs.  KOSRA has provided the Municipal Manager with a list of roads which are considered to be most in need of attention and a programme is currently being implemented to alleviate some of the most pressing states of disrepair of certain roads.  This like other projects is very much a work-in-progress.  It is the intention of KOSRA to engage with the owners and residents of certain of the streets with a view to obtaining contributions in order to assist the process.

Following the survey that was put out, KOSRA have interacted with Ndlambe and they are in the process of facilitating a process of interaction with the Developer and with SANRAL.  SANRAL’s recommendations for improvements to the approach to the intersection and the intersection itself are not considered adequate and it is the intention of KOSRA to participate with Ndlambe to lobby SANRAL to implement additional traffic calming and traffic safety steps.  KOSRA has engaged with the Bushman’s Ratepayers and they have expressed their desire to endeavour to get SANRAL to commence the implementation of traffic calming and traffic safety from at least Klipfontein on the western side.  Their suggestions are to be added to the suggestions that KOSRA and Ndlambe are formulating with the objective that from approximately the Kenton Eco Estate, traffic calming will commence from the eastern side.  A number of measures are intended to be suggested and implemented including rumble strips, reduction of the speed limit to 60kph, adequate signage, the construction of one or more traffic circles or possible installation of traffic lights, the widening of the entrance into Kenton and improving the safety of the approach to the intersection from the R343.

It seems ultimately that KOSRA’s energies will be best applied to the implementation of adequate traffic calming and traffic safety measures rather than endeavouring to block the development itself which seems to be an inevitability.

With some difficulty, the utilisation of the recycling depot in Bushman’s Industrial Area has been retained despite Ndlambe having given notice of termination of the occupancy of the depot.  There is much talk about the possibility of utilising a new dedicated recycling premises that is currently available and unutilised in Alexandria.  This would entail transporting recyclables from Kenton / Bushmans area to Alexandria.  The fundamental challenge is the establishment of effective recycling is that of the volume.  Almost all the recyclable waste in Kenton / Bushman’s areas needs to be consolidated and dealt with collectively.  Certain of the business operations have rather elected to manage their own recyclable waste independently and this compromises the viability of the remainder of recycling initiative.

As far as waste itself is concerned, Ndlambe recently procured a new compactor truck which is dealing with and transporting the remainder of the waste to the Port Alfred waste facility.