Next councillor must deliver water to Red Hills

By: Jovan Johnson

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Whoever eventually wins the Red Hills division in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation would, partly, have done so by satisfying residents that their cries for water will not fall on deaf ears.

But that does not look easy.

"The road alright but the water problem is a problem," Sandra Dick, a shop operator, told THE STAR.

"It hard fi come. Some of the time all one time fi di week."

Getting her to cast a vote come November 28 will take some convincing as Dick said, unlike the last elections in March 2012 where she voted, she has no intentions of doing so this time around.

"Mi nah vote. Mi cyaa bodda wid dat yah now. Mi haffi si weh mi a vote fah. Mi nuh si di sense inna nothing weh a gwaan. Either or either no better, it worse."

water issues

The entrepreneur's water cry was supported by another resident, Suzette Witter, 44, who said the winner of the election must address the water issues, as well as creating opportunities for the youth to "come off di streets".

"It (skills centre) really needs to open up so the young people can either have some classes or something fi get dem off a di street."

Down the road from Sandra's shop, Herbie Lemon was just preparing his jerk pan to catch afternoon sales. But he paused to lament the lack of water.

"Every time di truck come, sometime when it come, yuh have dis big man weh it have to go up a fi him yard, and di small man who haffi like friend di driver dem [to get water].

Part of resolving the problem is getting experienced people to service the water pumps in the area, he said.

"Long time, yuh always have di man who nurse di pump. Dem waah bring back supm like that. You never have nuh problem. Now, how it work yah now, you caa get water.

Communities like Essex Hall, Rock Hall, and Mannings Hill fall in the Red Hills Division.

The People's National Party's incumbent councillor Otis Hamilton is seeking to repel the challenge of Rohan Hall of the Jamaica Labour Party.

Hamilton won it for the PNP in the 2012 polls, ending the two-term reign of the Jamaica Labour Party.

However, he needs to erase the 369 vote-margin that won the JLP the division in February's general election.