Bethallers trek petisie op

BETHAL – Inwoners lag hand in die mou nadat die heining by Bethaldam se vakansie-oord onlangs deur munisipale werkers herstel is.

Die heining is aan die een kant reg gemaak, maar het aan die ander kant omgeval.

Die Echo en Ridge Times het reeds verskeie kere oor dié heining berig waardeur mense ongemagtigde toegang tot die vakansie-oord kry, maar omdat ander gebiede op die dorp glo meer aandag verg, kon die munisipaliteit tot dusver nie instandhouding doen nie.

Bethallers stem daarmee saam, maar sê hulle sien egter nie die werk wat deur hulle gedoen word nie.

“Ons is moeg vir die swak toestand van die dorp,” het ’n inwoner gesê.

“Ons kan nie meer net sit en wag dat iets gebeur nie.”

Inwoners van Bethal-Oos het verlede Sondag byeengekom om ’n petisie op te stel om aan die burgemeester te oorhandig.

“Genoeg is genoeg,” het hulle gesê.

Sommige inwoners het selfs begin om die paaie in Seymorelaan en Blesbok- en Wesstraat te herstel.

“Daar is in verlede week se koerant genoem dat die munisipaliteit nie via die media van die kragprobleme verwittig wil word nie.

“Ons het geen ander keuse as om die media te betrek nie.

“Ek het die munisipale kantore verskeie kere oor die kragprobleem geskakel, maar die telefoon word bloot in my oor neergesit.

“Wanneer hulle wel antwoord, word daar gesé dat hulle nie vir my ’n verwysingsnommer kan gee nie.

“Dit is onaanvaarbaar.”

Dié inwoner het gesê dat sy die DA-raadslid, mnr. Hein Badenhorst, gekontak het en dat sy antwoord was dat hy niks kan doen nie.

“Ek het ook ons DA-raadslid, mnr. Hannes van Baalen, geskakel en sy antwoord was dat hy nie ’n elektrisiën is nie.

“Waar moet ons kla, want ons stemme word nie gehoor nie en ons word net geïgnoreer?”

Van die inwoners kla dat hulle grootmaat kos en vleis in hul vrieskaste bêre wat later weggegooi moet word omdat die vrieskaste afloop weens kragonderbrekings.

“Ons ry bakkies wat se bande R9 000 kos.

“Die dorp kos ons net geld.”

Mnr. van Baalen het gesê: “Ek het verskeie oproepe oor swak dienslewering, wat insluit slaggate, elektrisiteit en die munisipale oproepsentrum wat nie effektief is nie, in die laaste twee tot drie weke ontvang.

“Mense kan nie verwag dat ek meer kan doen as om hul klagtes aan die munisipaliteit deur te gee nie.

“Ek kan nie munisipale werkers gaan haal en hulle na die probleemgebiede neem nie.

“Baie inwoners kla dat die telefone by die oproepsentrum net neergesit word,” het hy afgesluit.

Municipality comments

This is Mr Henry Masango, head of Marketing and Communication of the Govan Mbeki Municipality’s, word for word comment on the newspaper’s request for answers about the problems in Bethal.

“I do not see the irony of what ‘people’ are laughing about, because a fence which is in a state of being repaired has fallen over, unless the persons doing the repairs have already completed the refurbishment and signed it off as being repaired.

“The developmental priorities of the municipality (which comprises of the following areas: Secunda, eMbalenhle, Charl Cilliers, Evander, Trichardt, Kinross, Leandra, Lebohang, Eendracht, eMzinoni and Bethal) are contained in the integrated development plan.

“Thus does not comprehend what makes you think that your area deserves a lion share over and above the rest of other towns.

“The budgetary allocation spent in Bethal disapprove what you seem to be purporting.

“It shows that your grasp of what must be developmental issues is very narrow and self-serving.

“Making a representation to the municipality, whether to the ward councillors, petitions, or letters to your newspaper does not suggest that there is anger, but display the highest form of democratic maturity of our communities where matters are being brought forward to the attention of the authorities for action.

“The illusion that your newspaper can erode the role of a councillor as a legitimate voice of the community is far-fetched, since these public representatives have been democratically elected, and have a duty beyond the pettiness that your ‘resident’ is escaping as non-responsiveness by the councillors.

“These people that you claim do not have electricity and have their perishable food being spoiled are those consumers who do get their electricity cut off as a result of non-payment.

“Therefore the reconnection of electricity for those consumers cannot be an emergency, and it will be done within the set turn-around time.

“It is the civic duty of each resident to make his/her environment habitable and there is nothing untoward when some residents organise themselves as a volunteer corps to cleanse their environment or by removing debris which might hinder their movement within their surroundings or removing of misleading placards which advertise illicit health benefits. That is being highly encouraged, but should always be done in consultation with the municipality.

“You are up in arms, and not the residents that you claim to be representing as a champion.”