That’s the question I ask myself because who is able and capable of turning our town around? In my years as a councillor, we were not PAID; it was voluntary and our town was clean with no potholes, water leaks, bad sewerage, etc, etc.
These days as a councillor, you are paid a fat cat salary, given guards, etc so that you can have a meal every day at Ultra City, Midway and the Wimpy. We never had a Town Speaker, who is he and what does he do all day?
Ever wonder what it is costing you, the ratepayers? Are you aware that the verges/perimeters alongside your property is supposed to be cut and kept tidy by the municipality? It’s part of your rates and taxes. In my days our Heads of Departments (HODs) were qualified people and could see to the repairs of roads, water pipes, etc.
Our municipality is far too overstaffed; we desperately need to teach them the meaning of ‘PRODUCTIVITY’. It’s like President Jacob Zuma mistaking a ‘swimming pool’ for a ‘fire pool’. HODs send your people on PRODUCTIVITY courses and you can cut your staff compliment by at least 60 percent. Councillors, please take a drive in your own time and at your own cost to Ladysmith and Dundee.
See how clean those towns are, if they can do it, why not Estcourt? I feel ashamed to tell friends I live here. So, the question is who is standing for council? I don’t mind which party he or she represents, as long as they can deliver. I’m tired of seeing all the complaints in this paper, which falls on deaf ears.
Councillors who are standing for election must show us who they are, which ward they are representing with contact details and what they are going to contribute. Come on ratepayers, help us clean up, and stand together. Maybe the answer is to pay your rates into a separate banking account and we clean-up.
Congrats to PicknPay, Spar and HyperZone for using their own staff to keep outside your business clean. Pity we can’t put councillors in for six months’ probation and then vote. I suggest if you are standing for council, you start seeing the people in your ward. I will vote for anyone who is prepared to change and work for their money.
Ex-Councillor
