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Urgent answers sought regarding newly revamped R99 Million East London beachfront park

Dear Editor

Today, 30 November 2023, the newly upgraded Beachfront Court Crescent was launched with much fanfare in East London, while many issues regarding maintenance, safety and security, shoddy workmanship and the scope of work remain unanswered.

The court crescent, that has been renamed Leighandre “Baby Lee” Jegels Park, has cost the municipality more than R99 million, after R87 million was budgeted for the revamp, and saw 18 months of delays from the initial completion date three years ago.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) has been concerned about this vanity project from the onset for a number of reasons:

  1. The excessive cost given that the Metro is desperately in need of infrastructure upgrading.
  2. The ongoing delays in the project completion resulting in a lack of confidence in the Buffalo City Metro Development Agency’s (BCMDA) ability to manage a big project.
  3. The increasing budget.
  4. A Facebook post from three years ago mentioned the project was expected to create 75 jobs whereas it has been confirmed that it only sustained “over 49 jobs”.
  5. The change in the scope of work of the project.
  6. The lack of reporting to Council during the process. A response to a Notice of Question tabled by the DA asking about the detail in the changes of the scope of work has been ignored.
  7. The shoddy workmanship and materials used as the newly configured Moore Street has been plagued with potholes and the roofs of the hawkers’ stalls have already been damaged by the wind.
  8. Although BCM advertised for an entity to manage the maintenance and security of the precinct, it has now been handed back to the Metro to manage at a time when the municipality has no cash flow to undertake these functions.

The DA will now table further questions to force the municipality to provide answers regarding the viability and longevity of the project and to keep it from becoming an expensive white elephant.

The family of the late Baby Lee Jegels deserve her name to be given to a functional, well maintained and safe development and the DA will do continual oversight of this precinct to hold the municipality and the BCMDA to account.

Regards

Cllr Sue Bentley
DA Buffalo City Caucus Leader

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