Grant funding worth R170million earmarked for a project to process raw sewage from Buffalo City has been lost after the municipality failed to provide a letter in support of the initiative for close on a year, writes Derrick Spies.
Instead, the city is currently illegally pumping 10million litres of raw, untreated sewage into the shoreline at Hoodpoint, near the West Bank, and is in fact planning on increasing that to around 50million litres in the near future to accommodate new housing developments.
The project, which was proposed by People’s Power Africa, had received a R170m grant from Aid for Africa in November last year, but required a non-binding endorsement of co-operation from BCM and the participation of the Water and Sanitation Department on the steering committee of the technical feasibility study for the funds to be released.
However, a year later, this grant has been revoked because the municipality has failed to provide the endorsement.
Municipal spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the municipality was aware of the project but did not see the need to provide a letter of support.
“In as far as a letter is concerned, let me categorically state that we are welcoming to initiatives that … (seek) to advance the cause of the betterment of the lives of our people.
“Hence it would be against our principles to be unsupportive of such initiatives; however, to say we must commit to research with a letter does not require commitment from the municipality,” he said.
The grant would have seen a technical feasibility study done into establishing an environmentally friendly processing plant to convert the raw sewage into biogas and fertiliser, said director Mark Wells .
“Our pre-feasibility studies have determined that, together with the co-digestion of 90 tons of food waste per day, it is possible to generate around 74GWh (gigawatt hours) per annum of renewable energy in the form of methane-rich biogas, and 862 tons per annum of pathogen-free algal fertiliser,” said Wells.
He said they also projected that around 500 decent jobs could be created in the downstream dry waste sector, while eliminating around 73000 tons of waste a year.
Wells said that should the project have proved feasible, they would have put in the infrastructure, using the grant funding, trained people in how to operate the plant, and handed the project back to the municipality.
“It has never been our intent to operate the project as a commercial venture,” he said.
Wells said the pumping of raw sewage into the surf at Hoodpoint was illegal, as the permit issued to BCM by the Department of Water Affairs to do so had expired.
“At a meeting of the regulators co-ordinated by the DBSA (Development Bank of South Africa) on October 9 last year , the Department of Water Affairs and the environmental representatives from Dedea (Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs) confirmed that that they were unlikely to approve the permitting of the current Hoodpoint discharge or allow for any future discharge increases,” he said.
Ngwenya confirmed that the permit had expired, but said they were engaging with Dedea on the matter.
“The issue of the expiring of the licence is not just about that only, but also impacts on how – as we renew it – we would want to operate moving forward; either changing the current system or advancing it.
“At this stage the city has various options for the future of the pipeline, and these we are exploring,” said Ngwenya.
So what do you think? Blog now and give us your opinions!
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Like termites, they destroy everywhere they go.
Stink in poverty, comrade, stink!
This whole episode just goes to show just how ignorant the BCM idiots are… We are giving the opportunity to move towards self-sustainability as far as recycling our sewerage and what happens? Somme idiot doesn’t realize the importance of a supporting document to endorse their support of such a venture – which probably would have taken an office lackie about 5 minutes to type & 10 seconds for the authority figure to sign, but they are clearly too lazy & self-absorbed to do even the simplest of tasks. TJ & Mugabe – you are soooo right! There were obviously no “incentives” offered to the council members involved in the decision-making process. You probably find that because it was a grant that was going to be awarded, every cent had to be accounted for and because of that, there would be no lining of pockets or kick-backs paid to anyone. Clearly if the incentives are not offered, then BCM are not interested in creating jobs or bettering the city.
Not to worry I am sure a few bright sparks will come up with a suitable “action” plan to solve the situation.
A) Foreign jaunt with entourage to view sewage plants in a European country of choice to be combined with sightseeing meals, accommodation and perhaps even a jacket or three.
B) Follow this up with board of enquiry suitably qualified in confusing the issue and burying the problem while enjoying the delights of a suitable coastal resort.
C) Ensure cost of A & B at least equals half of the lost grant funding to make it a worthwhile exercise in futility
I suspect TJ and Mugabe are spot on – the capital would have been spent without the municipality’s procurement gate-keepers controlling it. They are always looking for a way to extract some “benefit” from such development.
idabi lezisu, not the citizens interests first…
It was turned away because no bribes were included. FACT. I have inside information.
Actually the strange thing here is that BCM is pumping 10 million litres of raw, untreated sewage into our oceans ILLEGALLY but Amber’s Path, so beautiful without any harm to the environment is the one at fault. I really think that this is so …. I don’t even know what words to use here. Come guys, another blogg competition. Find the right words to use here. The winner becomes mayor!
So now we have proof. BCM really can’t organise sh*t!
THIS STINKS!!!! How difficult would it have been for the lazy sods at BCM to just do up a letter accepting this deal. For goodness sake, how petty of them. It seems as though they are saying that if they can’t line their own pockets with this, they are not interested. It just shows how short sighted they are as well. Apart from job creation, this is a major health hazard, never being environmentally EVIL! Who do these fools think they are?
I really feel it is now time for BCM to be held accountable to the tax payers of this area. Stop all the insane infighting like a bunch of two year olds who can’t get their own way, and start doing some work! Start treating the citizens of this city as human beings!
Moral of the story: If you’re surfing on the West Bank, wear a snorkel and try to dodge the flotsam.
If you’ll pardon the predictable pun: It boggles the mind! Can you imagine a city anywhere else in the world peeing R170m of bonsela money against the wall!! Tragic.
If man does not stop looking after the invironment, he will drown in his own ****!
Yes, we whites no longer need to feel guilty about the “atrocities of apartheid”. The victors are as of now guilty of the same abuses and “atrocities”. They are one up on the NP though, they have not put their own brand of apartheid on the statute books (yet) Watch this space…
Oh please, the in-fighting between the ruling party, is much more important than mere “cwap” landing in the ocean. As long as my priority is the ANC and my buddies; so that we can line our pockets with the tax payer’s money, everything else is put on the back burner.
The course of this beautiful country of ours started sliding even before the Polokwane debacle. I don’t even want to know what was promised to whom, but it is abundantly clear that “if you vote for me, I will reward you” promises have now come to roost. The ANC has appointed (sic) even more unsuitable, unqualified, ignoramuses into positions of integrity and trust – people who work for US, the electorate. BUT, no, we don’t have any say despite this being a “democratic” country. Councilors should be elected by the people who pay taxes in each region, not the ruling party.
East London, sorry Buffalo City, is one of the prime examples. The umpteenth mayor simply went ahead and “did her own thing”. Who cares about tax payers??? As long as I can use the “perks” of my position for my own benefit …. so what, get over it. Who cares about the morgues overflowing with bodies, who cares about the sewage systems which have to be upgraded AND the roads AND don’t forget our so-called health services AND don’t you dare forget the Eskom fiasco, SABC, SA Airways; do I have to carry on? I think not.
Well, I think that Polokwane has meant only one thing – this country is becoming a banana republic and one foot is on a banana peel and the other in a huge abyss.
It is this type of mismanagement that vindicates apartheid. Life was bad then, but now? Eish…..