What began as a Facebook group called Enough is Enough grew into a forum which encompasses the rights of all people in the Msukaligwa community.
The Msukaligwa Business and Community Forum takes a stand for residents in the Msukaligwa Municipal area.
Adele Smit, Maryke Claasen, Yvonne Bowman, Conrad Bouwer, Silvija Breytenbach and Janice Conradie began the forum.
“The Msukaligwa Business and Community Forum is a tool and vehicle to say Enough is Enough,” Ms Janice Conradie, chairperson of the Msukaligwa Business and Community Forum, said.
She added the forum is a non-racial, apolitical and non-sectarian forum dealing with service delivery issues, building the economy as well as promoting investment in the area to bring prosperity to each and every person living in Msukaligwa.
“Lots of people have asked us why on earth are we getting involved in this mess?
“Each one of us has to take responsibility for the chaotic state in which Msukaligwa Municipality finds itself.
“We are to blame, why?
“We kept quiet.
“Our silence was construed as acceptance of bad service, theft, plundering and arrogance.
“The longer the silence the more confident the plunderers became and now we are faced with huge budget deficits, millions owed to Eskom and Randwater.
“And we clap our hands in dismay and complain and whine.”
She added, that residents and business owners are to be treated with dignity by municipal officials and their taxes are to be respected and spent with the utmost caution.
“We are entitled to good service delivery, good roads, a healthy environment to raise our children and future generations of this area.”
All the forum asks of residents is their time, the most precious commodity each one possess, effort, a good attitude, positive mindset, energy, your financial assistance and expertise.
“It is going to be tough, we are going to get a lot of criticism, ridiculed and threatened but, we are going to try our very best to bring back a value system, a work ethic, law and order, economic growth, services and utilities to all residents.”
According to her, the forum is privileged to have an excellent and passionate legal team, Andreas Peens and Adv Danie Wijnbeek, experts in litigating Municipalities on bad service delivery.
“We need members to generate funds to pay for the legal battles in court.
“Litigation is unfortunately the only route and a very expensive way in finding solutions,” she said.
She also stated, that they have already had success in the Gauteng North High Court, where Judge Mokose granted the Msukaligwa Business and Community Forum leave to re-enroll their case against Eskom and the Msukaligwa Local Municipality; for argument if and when electricity reductions, other than those associated with maintenance or national load shedding, are experienced.
Ms Conradie would like to thank Noeline Loubser from Ermelo Toyota, Muhammed Bhyat from the Calstar Group, DJ Koch from PnP, Hennie Nieuwenhuis from Ermelo Glass and Aluminium, Phillip Coetzer from De Wit Motors, Dirk Conradie, Letsie Höll and De Villiers Arnoldi for the donations they made with regard to the case.
“Thank you to Leonie Burmeister and all the people and businesses who paid monies directly into the trust account of the attorneys without us even knowing about it.”
At the steering committee meeting the following executive members were elected on 7 October 2020:
•Janice Conradie – Chairman
•DJ Koch – Vice Chairman
•Janine Cirigliano – Treasurer
•Rob Worrall – Secretary
Membership fees are R300 per annum for households and R1200 per annum for businesses.
Should residents be interested in becoming a member, they can contact Ms Conradie at 072 401 1449 or email her at mbc@myermelo.co.za.
Residents can see the updates of the forum on Facebook and Telegram.
Ms Conradie said, their latest project is to help members receive their municipal accounts digitally as this project will enable the municipality to update their database.
She concluded: “The emblem of the Msukaligwa Business and Community Forum is the phoenix rising out of the ashes, let us rise out of the corrupt ashes with the motto, ‘Unity and strength for a better tomorrow’.”
