The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has promised to provide more boats for the community of an island village in a game reserve in the far north of the province so that they can access basic services on the mainland.
The community has only one boat, which was provided by the provincial transport department in 2016.
Residents claim learners need to wade across the crocodile and hippo-infested lake because the boat is too small to carry all of them to school. Families also struggle to bury their loved ones because they have to carry the coffins across the water.
The mayor of uMkhanyakude district municipality, Siphile Mdaka, announced the provision of more boats during his meeting with the community on Thursday. The community was hit by a recent storm that destroyed about 11 houses on the island.
Mdaka said the municipality would deliver building materials to the community next week.
“The problem with this area is that it is under [the administration of] iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which makes it difficult for government officials to provide adequate services,” said Mdaka.
The people on Nkovukeni island boycotted the 2021 local government elections, but some of them voted in last week’s general elections.
The community is part of the uMhlabuyalingana local municipality’s ward 10 and has lived on the island for several years.
Earlier this week, outgoing KZN Premier Nomusa MaDube-Ncube said there were no plans to build a bridge to connect the island to the mainland because “the area was invaded by those community members to build houses. It was a big mistake because that land is not for human beings but for wildlife.”
The island’s people claim they are forgotten citizens who have never enjoyed this country’s freedom.
They want the government to help them with schools, clinics, water, electricity and roads.
Pictured above: Umkhanyakude district municipality councillors visited Nkovukeni island in Mhlabuyalingana on Thursday.
Source: Supplied
