I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Papkuilsfontein and Forderville areas, to thank our local councillor Edith Lite, who after the October Uthukela water meeting, took ownership of the water crisis that we had experienced.
She, together with our first lady Jabu Mbele, took time off to personally go to Ladysmith to address the water issue with Uthukela officials.
Many of her emails to Uthukela District Municipality received no response. Edith has been instrumental in accessing electricity and water subsidies for the poor, pensioners and indigents.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Locals enraged by Uthukela’s no-show at second water meeting
The National Youth Development Plan needs to step up a gear and address youth unemployment and skills development.
Municipalities have been mandated to co-ordinate, interact, integrate and work closely with private, public and business sectors to find meaningful solutions and formulate strategies that can assist in alleviating unemployment that leads to poverty and malnutrition, a high crime rate and substance abuse.
Since the advent of our constitutional democracy that has brought about a fundamental shift in the status of municipalities, they are not just a tier of government subservient to provincial/national government, but they are an independent sphere with autonomous powers, subject to constitutional constraints.
They have a whole host of responsibilities and more accountable to communities than before. Section 151 (4) provides that national/provincial government may not compromise or impede a municipality’s ability or right to exercise its powers to perform its functions, including responsibilities to service delivery, focusing on poor rural villages with absolutely no basic services and poor infrastructure.
Promoting social and economic progress requires everyone to come to the party. Communities, community organisations, cultural and religious sectors, non-governmental organisations, schools, humanitarian organisations, all can play pivotal roles to improve the lives of the underprivileged and downtrodden.
The country should take a lesson from the Zimbabwe debacle. There were no violence, no fatalities, no burning – just a peaceful transition, we must all learn from this.
Going ballistic is only going to impact on the technical recession and a spiralling economy that has already been downgraded to junk status, making it virtually impossible to gain offshore investment.
Let’s all of the citizens of this beautiful town and amazing country make a difference to improve the quality of life for all.
Mahomed Iqbal Peerbhay
Ex-Secretary MK Gandhi Ward under Dawood Vahed
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