‘Enough!’ Businesspeople say crime and non-delivery affect livelihoods

Businesspeople have had enough of the Polokwane Municipality’s apparent reluctance or inability to deliver basic municipal services and are considering to mobilise support and resources to launch an initiative towards withholding payments and taking over some municipal functions.
A local businessman, Arthur McDermott put the economic decline in the city squarely at the door of the municipality.
“I am in the hospitality business and we were hard hit by the lockdown. Many businesses have closed their doors never to open again and guests who supported my business on a regular basis before the lockdown, have indicated that they are now avoiding the CBD because of the state of affairs,” McDermott said and claimed that even locals refrain from doing business in the CBD.
McDermott raised the possibility of forming a ratepayers’ association to contest the 2021 municipal election. “It is high time that we engage councillors to represent the true interests of residents in stead of pursuing political interests while earning huge salaries,” he reckoned.
“We have had enough. We can’t be required to pay for services that we do not receive and appreciate that the municipality cannot solely be blamed for the inability to supply enough water and electricity. There is, however, no justification for the terrible state of the city’s roads and open areas and we fail to understand how the municipality cannot succeed in keeping our City of Stars clean,” a local businessman summarised the sentiments of other businesspeople.
“The problem existed even before the lockdown but has now escalated to such an extent that pavements in the CBD and its parameters have now turned into dumping sites. It seems that since supervisors responsible for the management of workers are now working from home, workers are free to roam the streets while managers are frequenting malls in their subsidised bakkies,” a prominent businessman remarked.
Some of the hot spots where random dumping has became the norm are the old municipal nursery in Oost Street as well as most pavements next to the entrances to blocks of flats and businesses.
“The municipality’s law enforcement agencies are non-existent. We have by-laws in place that can deal with owners and body corporates that allow tenants to deposit refuse on pavements only to be collected by the municipality once a week. They are obliged to provide temporary facilities,” a resident said.
In the industrial and commercial areas refuse is dumped in every available open space and from the nature of the dumped items, it is apparent that it does not only originate from adjoining businesses, but also from the residential areas.
On Tuesday, the Spokesperson for the municipality, Thipa Selala said the matter has been referred to the responsible departments for investigation and that full comment will follow.
“The public is urged not to place refuse in public areas until it is ready for collection by the municipality,” he said.

Story: Barry Viljoen