Endumeni residents becoming more adamant over rates boycott
An interim committee for a Chamber of Business has been elected to encourage more members to come forward.

Residents are becoming more adamant about withholding rates from Endumeni Municipality.
This was evident at the well-attended Endumeni Residents Association (ERA) meeting held at the Dundee Junior School hall last Thursday.
With many citing the Auditor-General’s report on Endumeni’s finances (in which a R99-million loss was noted and the ability of the municipality to continue as a growing concern was questioned) and the ERA opening charges of fraud against the municipality, residents say they want to pay their rates into a trust account.
“We should be allowed to do this, as we do not get services and even the Auditor-General has pointed out that our money is squandered.
“We will release the money once the services are done to our satisfaction,” said one irate resident.
Willie Steenberg (vice-chairman of the ERA) cautioned that when local municipalities fail to provide basic services to the community, aggrieved owners should not take the law into their own hands by withholding rates and tax payments.
They should instead approach a court of law that can provide them with the necessary relief.
“However, we have laid the criminal charge and the Hawks unit has the docket. We are pursuing this legal avenue and hope that this will correct the wrongdoing.
“But we are still considering other avenues because, right now, we can see that Endumeni is being run like a spaza shop.”
The non-implementation of by-laws, which has turned Endumeni into a ‘free for all’, was also brought up, as was the non-delivery of services regarding the pothole plague, dead streetlights and the ongoing water-shedding crisis overseen by Umzinyathi District Municipality.
ERA chairperson FC Bester stressed that ‘we don’t want to just sit back and criticise; we want to assist (the municipality)’.
“The Municipal Structures Act does allow for experts from the community – be it finances or in the engineering field – to come forward and guide the municipality. They should be looking at using local people, but they still insist on using outside companies such as the one that did the re-evaluations of properties, which caused untold harm here.”
Bester said he was glad that farmers in the district – who also pay rates – have ‘come on board’ and are willing to lend a hand by linking up with security structures in town to fight crime.
“Talana Museum is also struggling, as the R500,000 annual subsidy paid from the Province to the municipality (which should go to the museum) is not allocated.
“Nor is the 20% of the gate takings that should be given to Talana.
“To alleviate this crisis, farmers are keen to help upgrade the entrance road to the museum and even paint some of the exhibitions.”
Revival of Business Chamber mooted
At a separate meeting called by the ERA and local business representatives, it was agreed that the Chamber of Business – which disbanded some years ago – would be revived.
A Chamber of Business will give our business people who pay rates and employ people a voice. Our town is in a mess with no investments, crumbling infrastructure with little incentives for outside investors,’ Bester told that meeting.
He said 52 open plots in the industrial area could be sold to new businesses. But we see that there are no initiatives been taken. That is why we must do it ourselves. If we don’t, our town will soon end up like Wasbank — a collection of empty buildings.â€
Audrey Menealou was concerned that Glencoe is always forgotten’ and said any discussions about investment should include Glencoe.
This was agreed upon and Bester said he was confident that the newly formed committee would be able to unite all businesses in Endumeni in a new struggle to correct the many wrongs and create prosperity.”
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