Richard Nkosi

For many Emjindini Trust residents, 16 years of democracy have come and gone without the enjoyment of socio-economic rights promised and guaranteed by the constitution.

Few have had the privileges of RDP houses, electricity and water but to some they remain an elusive dream.

However, Emjindini Trust, which is under the traditional leadership of Chief Kenneth Mawa Nkosi, was one of the areas gazetted by the MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs, Norman Mokoena, to participate in proceedings of council.   

The traditional leaders whose names were gazetted were expected to start participating in their municipal councils on July 1.  

Monica Zulu, Umjindi speaker, said Nkosi has been informed about his inclusion on council sittings and was expected to be part of the next meeting on September 28.

She said they welcomed the inclusion of local traditional leaders to participate in proceedings of the municipal council.

 “In the past we have worked in collaboration with Chief Nkosi to promote development and service delivery in the area under his jurisdiction. We will continue to create space for his meaningful participation in development planning and service delivery programmes”.

There were 76 traditional leaders gazetted in the province. The affected municipalities will have their number of council seats increased to accommodate the changes.

Emjindini Trust residents expressed the hope that the inclusion of their area into council wouldl improve their living conditions.

Currently, the area has no tar roads or street lights and the roads aren’t well maintained. Locals are also forced to travel long distances to fetch water because there are no pipe connections in their yards. They fetch it at communal stand pipes where they have to stand in long queues. Sometimes these pipes run dry for days. Electricity blackouts have become a normal occurrence especially when it rains accompanied by lightning as their power is transferred through poles and not underground cables.

Siyabonga Motha and Ncamiso Simelane said they might be young but they see the need for their area to be developed with infrastructures.

“We would like to have tar roads, proper sports fields, schools, clinics, proper sanitation blocks and running water right to our door steps,” they said.

Bholoja Bhembe, a local priest, said little has been done to improve their lives in the past. “We have to get water from the river if the municipality truck doesn’t supply it. That pose a danger to the community of contracting diseases like diarrahoea,” he said.

He said that they hope that conditions would now improve.

The Lomshiyo Traditional house in Low’s Creek which falls under Chief Tikhontele Solomon Dlamini, was placed under the Mbombela municipality.

Siyabonga Motha and Ncamiso Simelane push their wheelbarrows after fetching water from a tank.