Consultation meeting postponed

An urgently called Umjindi Municipality draft-budget community consultation meeting was called off last Thursday due to poor attendance.
The gathering was set to be held at the Barberton Town Hall at 17:00.

The meeting was set up by the municipality in terms of the local government; Municipal Finance Management Act to present the council draft budget. Those who had been invited to attend were local business stakeholders, church leaders, ratepayers and the public.

Elsabé Jacobs, Democratic Alliance councillor in Umjindi requested the council to postpone the meeting. Among the reasons she attributed to the poor show of people was the short notice issued regarding the event.
“Most business people, pastors are not present here. The notice to call the meeting was issued less than 24 hours before the time and it was going to be impossible for people to leave their businesses and attend on such short notice,” said Jacobs.

This was the second time it had to be postponed. In an Umjindi Municipality advertorial that was placed in the Barberton Times edition of April 22, the meeting has been called to take place on April 28 at the same hall. Later, Umjindi spokesman, Sam Jele distributed emails about the postponement.
That programme was expected to run from April 28 to May 10. Present during last Thursday’s aborted meeting were the Umjindi municipal manager, Pat Msibi, executive mayor Cllr Lazarus Mashaba, directors – Comfort Makhanya of community services, Pat Mpela of finance, Derrick Ndlovu of cooperate services and Jaco Landsberg of electrical services.

The less than 20-people present collectively agreed to the postponement.
Cllr Elizabeth Gecelo-Mkhabela, member for the mayoral committee in finance and administration said the meeting will take place today (Wednesday May 20) at the same venue at 17:00.