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On 18 November 2025, the Winnie Madikizela Mandela Local Municipality (WMMLM) hosted a Mayoral Imbizo outreach at the Ward 13 Community Hall in Ngcingo Location, Bizana, Eastern Cape. The focus of the Imbizo was to present a service-delivery report on the 2025/2026 financial-year IDP (Integrated Development Plan) projects currently in design, tender, construction for Ward 13.
In Ward 13, the municipality has allocated R 2 868 977.20 for the Ngcingo-to-Mathwebu access road with bridge project, which is currently in the design stage and reportedly encountering no major challenges. For the 2026/2027 financial year, the municipality has budgeted R 4 490 299.76 for the follow-up Ngcingo-to-Mathwebu access-road project.
Another road-maintenance initiative covers the route from Ngcingo to Didi via Soweto and on to Gagashe and Fonoza a stretch of 6.3 km to be maintained using the municipality’s internal plant resources.
On the building-and-maintenance front for Wards 13 and 23, WMMLM has budgeted R 869 544.00 for the construction of eight public toilets at the Ngcingo Community Hall and another eight at the Izikhuba Community Hall.
In the 2024/2025 financial year the municipality completed the installation of electricity to 204 households in Mathwebu, Ward 13, at a cost of R 5 565 500.00.
Despite these commitments, residents of Ngcingo and Mathwebu raised several concerns during the Imbizo. They requested the installation of streetlights in Ward 13, citing that the area becomes very dark at night, and one may not even see someone coming. They also requested improved water supply, proper road infrastructure and full electricity coverage in parts of Ngcingo.
Mr Thembelani Ntsethe, a resident near Rasta Spaza Shop in Ngcingo, complained: “For years, we have been asking for the road to be fixed but nothing has been done. We even contributed R1 000 from our own pockets to fix it ourselves.”
Mr B. Hlase of Ngcingo added: “The tipping of the road the municipality fails to complete their job and if they are facing challenges, they must ask us the residents to assist in any way.” He also criticised the healthcare services in Bizana: “Those long queues at the clinics are unnecessary and intentional. I remember when the open day at Oliver and Adelaide Regional Hospital was held there were no queues; the cleaners even cleaned on top of the roofs.”
He then asked the municipality to intervene in improving safety and security in Bizana. It is estimated that in Fondo, around 186 murder cases, at Emzini Yard 46 murder cases, and at Colly Tavern 38 murder cases have occurred, but none have been officially reported because residents fear they may become the next victims.
He added: “The police station in Bizana needs proper administration and support from the municipality to strengthen the fight against crime, and the police officers in Bizana need to be moved so that new officers can be brought in to help bring change.”
Responding to Ward 13 residents’ complaints and requests including the streetlights first raised during the previous 2024/2025 Imbizo the Mayor of the day, Mrs Cengimbo, said she would return to the Office of Electrical Infrastructure to make inquiries about the budget. She explained that the municipality is working under a tight budget while trying to cover all community needs.
