His letter follows shortly on the announcement by Mr Arthur Hill, of the establishment of a residents’ front called “Dis Nou Genoeg!”

Mr Brandmuller’s letter reads as follows:

I write this letter as an extremely concerned resident of Middelburg.

The concerns I have arise from events which are currently taking place in Middelburg and the impact of these events on service delivery by the municipality and the effect thereon on residents and the business community, which appear to indicate a lack of commitment of our municipality to address the instability in the town caused by:

• Unprotected strike action of employees of the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.
• Criminal activities of the striking workers.

I am furthermore extremely concerned with the silence of the business community and the residents who are being adversely affected by these events.

Is it not time for the residents and the business community to express their disapproval with the current status of affairs in such a way that the municipality (who gladly receives our taxes, and demands payment thereof) is compelled to take action to return service delivery in the town to the levels it ought to be?

The residents and the business community pay taxes but do not get services. Our roads are deteriorating. The administrative services at the municipality are deteriorating in many respects as a result of a general lack of service delivery, which also affects the commercial operations of many businesses in this town.

So the question needs to be asked: Why should we pay any amounts to the municipality for services which we do not receive?

Is it not time for residents and the business community to concertedly boycott the payment of rates to the municipality and any portion of their municipal accounts in respect of services which is not delivered by the local authority?

Is it not time for the business community under the leadership of Organised Business to arrange a summit with a view to obtaining a mandate and a process which will compel the municipality to take all actions required to restore the services of the municipality to its residents at the levels it was when Middelburg was recognised as one of the top municipalities in the Republic of South Africa?

• Residents are invited to attend the first meeting held by the “Dis Nou Genoeg” front on Wednesday 17:30 at the Kees Taljaard Stadium’s A field.