From Mr M. Psaila

As time goes by I keep getting more and more confused by the news, as presented by certain radios, TV stations and papers regarding the long standing issue of the waste plant in Marsascala.

Now we have another twist to the news which simply says that if the people of Marsascala, Zejtun and Zabbar continue their fight to safeguard their neighbourhood, they will risk all that beautiful money the EU is sending to Malta to upgrade this plant, slap bang in the middle of the South's most popular resort area, will be lost to all of us. In fact, the tone of these news items actually puts the blame on us residents, and now on the Malta Labour Party as well, which is actively working to safeguard the resident's interests.

My first impression is “Thank God for the Labour Party which is really trying to help the area.” This I say without being an actual member of any political party. I consider myself a floating voter who weighs the pros and cons of all parties prior to an election. My second impression would be historical, as I remember the terrible living conditions imposed on us by an irresponsible government after the plant was built.

The suffering we had to bear simply because some minister decided to place this plant in our “front garden” in the first place, was only mitigated when Labour took office, stopped the plant from operating until changes were made to lessen the suffering it was causing the residents and the thousands of tourists who frequent the area.

Strangely enough, every time some hard blow or another flattened this area, it was given by the Nationalist Party when in power. I cannot understand this. Is it something deliberate? Are we in this party's black books? Are they narrow minded enough to forget that each and every person in this area also has a vote, and while in the last election the government was elected on the basis of who wanted to join Europe and who didn’t, this time round people will vote on the basis of a party’s performance, and the present government’s performance in our area is abysmal.

Also, are we being told that the EU specifically authorised the construction of this waste plant right in the middle of a densely populated area? I cannot and will not believe this because nowhere else in Europe is this done. Or is this a case where somebody local, like Minister Pullicino, convinced the EU that Marsascala is the best place to dump all the rubbish. I think what other parties and our councils are doing, is informing the EU that a gross injustice is being perpetrated on our neighbourhood and the thousands of people who live and work in our area. This is the truth; therefore they are just being truthful. The residents do not want to have this new rubbish plant in their gardens, and nothing will change that, not even EU money. It is also pointless to continue trying to turn the rest of our Maltese brothers against us, and forcing them to say “how cheeky the people of the south are, risking the money the EU is giving us to turn the South into a rubbish dump, putting all Malta's Scammels on the roads there, and enabling us to completely stop dumping at Maghtab by building a new one there."

It was also humorous to see the excuses MEPA made not to build a plant in this or that area. According to them Marsascala is the only area fit to host Malta's rubbish, because other places do not have roads, are close to residences, are not wanted, and so on. So are the people in power asleep or what? When will they realise that we are people too, with votes, houses, jobs, NI numbers and pay income tax. We live and work like others, love and have families. So what do they have against us?

I have noticed that, up to now, there has been no response from the authorities to letters and opinions expressed in papers and other places. Is this because the authorities do not care about the people and their opinions? I would like our authorities to answer this and similar opinions rather than simply ignoring them.

Thank God for the people, organisations, politicians and many others who are rallying to help our locality and all its people. I am sure that once the EU has all the facts on our dilemma, and not what Minister Pullicino and his associates wants it to know, then things may take a turn for the better.

Mario Psaila

MARSASCALA