STEFAN HOUGH writes:
Communities in Ekurhuleni, like any other area, only desire neat and tidy suburbs without the further degeneration of infrastructure and municipal properties.
But communities throughout Ekurhuleni are confronted with the following statements in papers:
The president described Ekurhuleni as the most corrupt municipality in Gauteng. Gordhan calls for the firing of incompetent town officials. There is a “web of corruption” surrounding the Ekurhuleni city manager. South Africa experiences a protest against poor municipal service delivery every second day.
Also read:
• Over 3 000 potholes reported but nothing is being done
• Metro’s legacy is an embarressment
This is not the quiet and friendly environment the new South Africa hoped for because with cadre deployment, incompetent officials forced the municipal operational structures to collapse.
During the last ratepayers’ association meeting in Birchleigh, out of sheer desperation, the following protest document developed in order to reflect the community’s feeling: “Proposal: Initiate a moratorium/boycott/withholding of property taxes due to the metro officials poor governance of municipal properties, which completely eroded the basis on which property values were based”.
It is therefore of utmost importance that communities start to mobilise and strengthen themselves in order to form class actions of protests throughout Ekurhuleni and the whole country, in order to adhere to minister Gordhan’s instruction to rid our municipalities of incompetent cadres.
The government made false promises before the 1994 election by promising houses and jobs, but obtained the majority vote only to discourage the whole of South Africa with corrupt governance and poor service delivery.
A brand new approach needs to be deliberated in order to bring back normal municipal services to communities and where households are treated like real clients and not like dirt.
Our public meeting is scheduled for October 10 at 10am in the Birchleigh NG Church hall, where steps to organised protests will be discussed.
Call me on 011-972-1518 for more information.
