Mr M Gungubele
Minister in the Presidency
Private Bag X1000,
Cape Town
8000
Dear Honourable Minister Gungubele
Complaints of the AmaQwathi community of Engcobo in the Eastern Cape
1. I was invited by Inkosi Zwelenkosi Dalasile of the AmaQwathi community to visit with him and his chiefs, headmen and the community on 11 April 2022.
2. They had several complaints which they raised with me, which I wish to register with your good office with the request that you raise the complaints with the relevant ministers and authorities.
3. There are general complaints around access to water and roads that are impassable.
4. The high crime rate in the area, drug abuse and stock theft are of great concern to the community and regular police patrols are needed. Specifically in an area called Nkondlo there is a request for a satellite police station.
5. The community has noted that traditional leaders in other provinces, e.g. KwaZulu-Natal, are provided with vehicles, and they request the same for their Nkosi. There had been an arrangement that their traditional councillors received R529 per month, which had seemingly been stopped, and the community would like to have this investigated and reinstated with backpay. Furthermore, they feel that traditional leadership has been around since time immemorial and that they should be respected by government and elected councillors as such, which is not currently the case.
6. It would be an asset to the community and will be of great enrichment to them if there was a community radio station.
7. The supply of books and stationery at schools takes too long at the beginning of the year.
8. Since there is a lack of discipline amongst children and some idleness amongst the local youth, government should please reach out to the SCOUTS South Africa and the GIRL GUIDES South Africa to market their programmes more aggressively in the rural Eastern Cape.
9. There is no discipline amongst officials at the Department of Home Affairs and the Post Office, which means the service is poor and people wait in endless queues.
10. The question arose whether shop owners in the area who are non-South African, are paying taxes and why they do not employ jobless local youth.
11. The community would like to be supplied with tractor services so that they may till the fallow land in their area. Boreholes in the area that are not currently serviced, should please be checked and regularly maintained.
12. There are rumours that the All-Saints Hospital may be changed to Albertina Sisulu Hospital. The community feels stewardship of the hospital and believe that they, should the rumours be true, should be consulted in the name change. However, they feel that the health services provided by the All-Saints Hospital are very poor, including that provided by clinics in the area.
13. The taxi industry had complaints about the Unemployment Insurance Fund claims they made during the Covid-19 pandemic, which have not been paid out. In addition, there were complaints that the R5000 per taxi Covid-19 taxi relief fund have been too slow. The potholes in the road between Engcobo and Elliotdale have deteriorated to the point where they have become ditches and that school transport drivers are not paid.
Yours faithfully
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
President of the United Democratic Movement
Copied to: The AmaQwathi community of Engcobo in the Eastern Cape
