ISSUES DISCUSSED AT COUNCIL MEETING

LYDENBURG – At a recent council meeting several burning issues were addressed and discussed.

DA Cllr Farhad Essack addressed council and said it was common knowledge and a fact that there were serious environmental problems, causes and connections in and around Thaba Chweu Municipality that needed to be addressed urgently.

“Environmental perspectives have been placed high on the municipal transformation agenda and as such, wide ranging pieces of legislation and policies have been introduced to regulate environmental concerns.

The National Environmental Management Act (Nema) of 1998 Section 107, makes provision for every citizen to have the right to an environment which is not harmful to his/her health or wellbeing and also to live in an environment protected for present and future generations, preventing pollution and ecological degradation.”

Essack said that facilities for recreational purposes such as parks and sport grounds were dysfunctional. “Unserviced residential sites are used indiscriminately as illegal

dumping sites. Litter strewn along streets and open spaces bear testimony to this anomaly. Currently, Thaba Chweu has no concrete plans for these open spaces nor any clear guidelines, which is why this has become such a hazard to public health.

It is apparent that our municipal employees have inadequate skills, capacity or competency or knowledge of sustainable environmental management. These environmental problems, particularly in this municipality can only be attributed to weak and poor local government capacity.

From this the ANC should realise the impending danger and consequences of appointing and awarding contracts to its comrades. Yet another perfect example is what I must sadly term as a virtually defunct TCM.”

Essack also said councillors and employees of this ANC-led administration are driving around in fancy cars with no conscience and an absolute disregard for those voters who have placed their trust in them.

“Tenders and cadre deployment continue unabated. Positions continue to be filled with acting employees until the ANC provincial branches push through candidates to be interviewed, knowing full well in advance, who the selected candidate will be, irrespective of whether they are suited to the purpose or not.

This has proved to be true, whether it is the position for councillor, mayor, MMC, MM, technical director or CFO. The Hollywood Circus of Thaba Chweu continues. Look around – we can all see the result.”

DA Cllr Sonja Boshoff also addressed the council regarding the possibility that TCM’s electricity could be disconnected by Eskom. “This will affect everybody. Without electricity there will also be no water. I can go without electricity, but not water. We need direct answers now in black and white. What is TCM doing about paying Eskom?”

The municipal manager, Mr Michael Ncongwane said in reaction that then Depasrtment of Cooperative Governance and TraditionalAffairs (Cogta) has now come to assist TCM regarding the Eskom account. “The Eskom problem is worrisome to all of us.

We standing here, including myself,are responsible. How did we end up in arrears with Eskom? We are selling electricity at a lost. People are stealing electricity. We presented these problems to Eskom and even tried to bring in smart meters. We will come up with a plan and that plan will then be presented to council. We will overcome this.”

Essack raised several issues that required feedback. On more than one occasion, he had to inform the municipal manager, Mr Surprise Maebela, to which issue he was referring.

Essack requested that council be prepared and briefed before coming to a council meeting in order to know which items were under discussion.

In another turn of events DA Cllr Farhad Essack asked several questions regarding the new Panorama Mall as per section eight of the standing rules of order.

“As councillor I would like to enquire into the following matters regarding the new Panorama Mall to be built, as the questions have not been answered in the Land Use Portfolio Committee; why is there no service level agreement available? How were the bulk services calculated? Have these bulk services been paid for and if so, how much? Was the application evaluated and if so, by whom? Has an environmental impact assessment been conducted and can proof thereof be presented? Was a detailed presentation presented to this council for a development of this magnitude and did town planning and the technical department confirm that all services are available?”

In response to these questions, the executive mayor, Mr Michael Ncongwane replied that the service level agreement has been signed. On the question of how the bulk services were calculated he replied that he didn’t know. He also admitted that no presentation was made to council for the development.

Essack then argued that these replies were not comprehensive or detailed and insisted that a special council meeting be called to discuss the mall and the Speaker agreed to the request and suggested October 15.

He also voiced his dismay that DA Cllr Sonja Boshoff was neither consulted nor shown around in terms of labour, environmental and traffic issues.