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Drivers fed-up with municipality’s broken promises

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Port Alfred - Buziwe Nocuze
Taxi drivers and owners say filthy sewerage water has spilled onto the Port Alfred rank for months. Photo: Buziwe Nocuze

Buziwe Nocuze from Groundup writes:

Taxi drivers and owners say they have been complaining for months about smelly sewerage water spilling out onto the ground at the Port Alfred taxi rank.

Taxi owner Zukisa Faliteni said the owners had alerted Ndlambe municipality three months ago but nothing had been done.

A driver said a pipe seemed to be broken. “Municipal workers came here several times to fix it but as soon as they leave the smelly water starts again,” said the taxi driver.

Drivers said the toilets in the taxi rank were not working.

“We use the Pick n Pay toilets which are far from this rank. We don’t even know what caused our toilet to block. We reported it when we told them about the smelly water but they promised to fix it but they have not done that”, said a driver.

Fast food seller Nwabisa Vezo said the smell was affecting her business.”We cook food here. People think twice before coming here and since we had this problem our business is slow”, said Vezo.

“Ndlambe municipality must at least consider the people we are transporting because it is clear they do not care about us”, said taxi driver Nkosinathi Mantla.

Khululekile Mbolekwa, spokesperson for Ndlambe municipality, said workers had been sent to fix the pipes when the problem had been reported. He said a new company would be sent to investigate the problem.

“All we are asking is time to fix that. We know no-one is supposed to work under conditions like that”, said Mbolekwa.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.