EDITOR – It is expected that councillors are well read and familiar with the relevant Statutes, especially those governing the functioning of local government.
Those who are, will agree that those Statues lack any racial bias, at service delivery level, especially.
Our councillors each cost us between R35.8k and R87k per month (yes, per month). Their roles and duties are well documented. They are expected to deliver on those responsibilities, “No Favour, No Fear” as the phrase goes. And that means not marginalising wards not having ANC councillors or turning every sitting of council into a Hall of Shame.
The behaviour of the eThekwini ANC councillors with regard to noise pollution speaks to many things, most importantly that they are not well-read. Another is that, purely due to their political standing, they care not about honouring any local, provincial, national or international expectation.
Frankly, if these councillors were to honour their expectations, Durban would, in all likelihood, not be the events co-ordinator it is, for most of the events it allows, sponsors and/or hosts are characterised by lawlessness and gross violations of noise-pollution abatement rules. It would be a Caring City in the first instant.
A case in point is the World Beach Soccer event last Friday, Saturday and Sunday at West Street beach, held in the same week of the World Health Organisation’s International Ear Care Day on 3 March. If those within the arena (organisers, staff, spectators and players) and without (passers-by, shoppers and residents in their flats) were spared the noise-blasting they had to endure, would the event have come to a grinding halt? Most certainly not. Would any other event? Heavens, no!
It is sad that these councillors behave in this manner and, mostly, do very, very little to justify their salaries. But then their behaviour is to be expected – their MP’s, each costing us between R77.8k and R206.5k (Speaker) per month (yes, per month), also behave similarly in their own comfy-zones with respect to the Statues they must uphold.
Mahmood
North Beach
