Sorry to burst your bubble . .

I don’t usually stand up at a meeting and announce the meeting can’t continue – the AGM was not constituted in terms of the Docrra’s constitution. No, there’s much more to it than that.
Sorry to be the one to burst the bubble.
How would you feel if you joined a community organisation’s committee and they were about to approve an astronomical amount for a project without obtaining at least two other quotes?
Checks and balances are built into the practice of running a community organisation for a reason. Yes, so a project outline is compiled by the committee so each supplier gets the same brief to quote on. There was no project outline. No second or third quote either.
After serving on the Docrra committee for four years a while back, I knew our role was to attend the council meetings at KwaDukuza, all the public participation meetings we could and report back to our members. We sent out a quarterly newsletter and published regular report backs via the Courier. How else can you monitor what is being raised at Council?
But hang on, Docrra doesn’t do that now? If anyone did drive out to KwaDukuza to observe our local government in session, it was a well-kept secret.
It got more frustrating when no one else on the committee thought spending so much money on advertising was a bad idea (according to our financials R96, 286). I don’t know how this figure breaks down as there was no monthly spreadsheet of income and expenses available at meetings. I do know a substantial portion went to our chairperson’s media company for newspaper and radio ads, including a quote for R20 400 ex VAT for four radio interviews (with a 40% discount). I’d never heard of a radio station charging a community organisation for interviews.
After all that advertising, we got a few members. They were promised a newsletter or two which hasn’t happened.
Seems I’m only one that thinks a community organisation should email their members inviting them to the AGM two weeks before the meeting. We all have busy lives. That’s what the constitution says for good reason – so everyone has the opportunity to participate.
Seems it’s okay to spend almost a third of the approximately R300,000 passed on to us from the previous committee on advertising. There’s more, but that’s some of the goings on, to give you a little understanding of why Docrra, in its present form, is unlikely to attract enough members to claim to represent the residents and ratepayers of the Dolphin Coast in any meaningful way.
How can Docrra call foul if the local government officials don’t adhere to the constitution or follow tender procedures, if Docrra doesn’t follow its own rules and best practices? The funds generated to serve its members are benefiting some members  and not for the purpose they were intended.
I stood up because I know first-hand how hard the members of the committee I served on a decade ago worked. I’ve learned how hard the committee lead by Louis Luyt Jnr worked during the next decade. We worked without any payment, nothing for petrol, paper or phone calls. We worked to build Docrra so you could be proud to say you belonged to Docrra. Yes, corny I know. I am so very sad to witness what has been going on these past months and where it leaves Docrra today.
This is not directed personally at any Docrra committee member. A person holding a leadership position in a community-funded organisation is accountable to their community, especially if they are claiming to represent it in matters of local government.
Our community organisations need to be exemplary. This is within our control. That’s why I had to stand up and say “stop”. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, I can assure you.
At least now I’ve bought this unhappy situation to the attention of those that can do something to stop it. I hope you will join me in striving to make our community a better place and our community organisations exemplary. If you’d like to share your thoughts, please contact me at ballitobeach@gmail.com.
TINA COOK
Shaka’s Rock