SIPHELELE NKETO
A PIECE of land that was allocated for business initiatives of former exiles and Umkhonto Wesizwe military veterans in Kokstad has been standing idle, not being used for its intended purpose.
The land, now with overgrown grass, is fenced and has a container, two plastic mobile toilets and two tanks.
According to former exile Zakhele Yekani, the land was given to Kokstad MKMVA Business Initiative PTY Ltd for a business-related initiative that apparently failed to launch.
Yekani, the director of the business initiative, was with the late former Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) commander Ronnie Matshaya when they formed the Kokstad MKMVA Business Initiative PTY Ltd in 2020.
Yekani explained that the land was handed over by the municipality of Kokstad for the business initiative to produce bricks and sand.
A fund of R1 million was approved by the Greater Kokstad Municipality during the 2020/2021 financial year. It was for the development of the military veterans’ blocks, sand and stones business. But according to Yekani, who fought for freedom in Congo, the fund only purchased a container, two tanks, and two mobile toilets as well as fencing instead of the machinery and other tools of work.
He said his ambitions for the business initiative were to improve his life and also contribute towards the development of Kokstad. But that never happened, as his life remained unchanged for the better.
Now that the brick production project failed, Yekani has called for the municipality to redirect the remaining amount of the funding towards his new business concept of opening a training centre, to be responsible for community development.
He said the centre will be used as an institution to capacitate the community of Kokstad in cooking and baking, as well as equipping youth in traditional music.
He said he has been enquiring to the municipality about the remaining amount of the funding with no response, saying that he has escalated the matter to the municipal leadership.
“What hurts the most is the fact that no one wants to be accountable for the remaining funding,” he said.
In response, the Greater Kokstad Municipality spokesperson Zolani Siqwayi acknowledged the approved funding after an application was made to the municipality.
He said the municipality availed the land for the business under a lease agreement of five years renewable, adding that the municipality procured and installed a fence, office container, mobile toilets, office furniture, horse pipes and a water tank of 5000l.
All the items had a total cost of R470 000.
“The R470 000 used from the funding was for the first phase of the project. The second phase of the project will include the procurement of block machines and other related equipment for the full functioning of the business,” explained Siqwayi and further stated that the municipality will not be able to redirect funding for the Kokstad MKMVA Business Initiative PTY Ltd to the new business model.
He advised Yekani to make a new funding application for his new business model.
He said engagements will continue between the municipality and the funding beneficiary to forge a viable way forward.
