6th December, 2008, Page 5 - Edition 200

The Midlands Herald

Page 5 — December 2008

Vow to bring sewage nightmare to an end

Above: Incredibly, these women are washing their laundry in the sewage-polluted uMngeni River above the Howick Falls, in this picture taken by the Herald’s photographer on Wednesday 3rd December. Left: E-coli levels at the Umgeni bridge just above the Falls (and the washing) have been recorded in the millions. Photographed on the same day, and viewed from below, the bridge’s attractive design is apparent.

Greetings — giving value to the community

Above: Marianne and her mother, Val Evans, in the book section at Greetings in Howick.

Greetings in Howick is one of those shops that brings quality into the community —a combination of chatty, friendly staff and abundant stock (in this case, stationery and gifts). You’ll find it well positioned in Somme Street, opposite the post office, in the spacious premises formerly occupied by the Good News Centre, with ample parking outside. Inside, the premises have been entirely repainted and refurbished, with aisles and shelving comfortably laid out. Regular stock of English and Zulu Christian books “We have a good range of Christian books and get stock in regularly,” says owner Val Evans, who runs it with her daughter Marianne and assistant Eileen. “We are often requested to get in certain books for our customers, and are able to assist them with this.” This includes Zulu Bibles, songbooks, prayer books and other Christian literature. Back-to-school requirements — avoid the rush! It may sound surprising at this stage, but

Greetings has already attended to your need for back-to-school stationery next year. As Val says, avoid the January rush and make sure that you are stocked up for school well before it begins in 2009! “Our stationery, cards and gift sections are still much the same,” she comments, adding that these are selling well. “However, I must say that being positioned here has allowed us to expand a little more and to put up more shelves.” Toys, crafts, games and books Then there is always the need for that gift for children, and in this department Greetings stocks educational toys, crafts, games and books, as a browse around the aisles will demonstrate. But it’s not only children that are catered for here, and a gift will just as easily be found for a friend. Val also points out that since moving from the old premises, the shop has found that it has steadily enlarged its stock of scrap booking aids. Val, Marianne and Eileen will always be happy to assist you at Greetings. Telephone 033-330 6981.

At a recent meeting with DUCT founder Dave Still, DA Councillor Tim LindsayWhite and members of the DUCT team in Howick, senior management of uMgungundlovu and uMngeni Water vowed to bring the sewage nightmare that has threatened Howick for the past few years to an end. This follows months of reports in the media of raw sewage flowing through the streets of Siphumelele, passed front doors of people’s homes, polluting the uMngeni River, flowing under the Howick Bridge, over the Howick Falls, and partially treated effluent being discharged from the Waste Water Treatment Works. “Based on this open and productive meeting, uMgungundlovu District Municipality — which was previously regarded as a dysfunctional municipality and is responsible for our water and sanitation — has shown great promise,” said Cllr Lindsay-White. “The meeting was a breath of fresh air, particularly in contrast with the closed, non-transparent, non-accountable, non-participatory management style of uMngeni municipality’s Municipal Manager Dumisani Vilakazi”. The dramatic turn-around of uMgungundlovu, in just the past few months, is further evident in the District’s being given a clean audit after two years of disclaimers. “What it means for residents of uMngeni,” Cllr Lindsay-White says, “is a

will to resolve problems, not to hide them. The new sanitation team, since November, impressed us with their willingness to acknowledge the existing threat to the health of uMngeni’s residents and environment, their preparedness to listen, to determine the challenges and their desire to resolve the problems we are faced with. “Whilst it was agreed that sanitation was the right to ‘dignity’, the consensus was that it was equally the right to ‘life’. There was a strong reassurance that the conditions that brought about the devastating cholera outbreak killing hundreds in Zimbabwe, would not be permitted to occur here.” He continued: “Whereas non-compliance of effluent from the WWTW at Howick was 45% when taken over from the uMngeni Municipality in 2003, unacceptable discharges have been reduced to 17,1% so far. Importantly, R3 million is also to be spent on upgrading the water works over the next six months, whilst immediate plans and a timetable are to be put in place to prevent the pump stations at Howick West and the Bridge from overflowing into the river. “Suitable training of staff and competency are also to be undertaken. They further gave us assurances that there would be sufficient capacity to handle the growing population of Howick, with the additional 2 0000 to 3 000 homes planned to be built along the Karkloof Road alone.”

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