I refer to the article People continue to suffer, published in the Ridge Times of 14 March.
The marketing and communications manager of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Henry Masango’s, comment was: ‘The ageing infrastructure remains the mainstay of the apartheid legacy, which the democratic government will not be able to reverse overnight’.
First of all, what a mixed bag of words, this fellow should engage brain before opening his mouth.
If over night is 20 years, just how long are they going to take to get things right?
Mind you, if 20 years is overnight, it all begins to add up now, they have been asleep for all this time.
The executive mayor makes many stirring speeches and statements about how she will not tolerate poor service delivery and incompetence from the municipal employees.
Well to me, that sounds like more ANC politics, as there has been no improvement in those areas.
Is this a publicity stunt because of the up coming elections?
All those poor people out there are being suckered into voting for the ANC on empty promises and lies.
Anyone with half a brain can see that it is.
Secondly, 20 years ago this ANC municipality inherited a functioning, efficient organisation from the apartheid legacy in the Teks area and elsewhere in the Govern Mbeki municipal area.
The government hospitals were a pleasure to use, the libraries were up to date regarding new books, the water and sewerage systems worked, the vehicle licensing and inspection departments worked, the towns were clean, potholes were repaired promptly and properly.
A day outing to Bethal or Standerton was a pleasure, now it is hell.
We just do not do that any more.
Like most towns outside of Secunda, they are broken and dying from neglect.
They also neglected to, or were too incompetent to maintain what they had, as they were too busy winning brownie points with the ‘previously disadvantaged’ for party political purposes.
Sure, give these people opportunities to get housing and services, but do it properly without corruption and nepotism and do not forget the people and businesses who are paying their rates and utility bills.
They were also too busy stuffing their faces at every meeting or function.
They slowly got rid of the competent people they inherited and because of their corrupt tendencies, appointed incompetent contractors who could not do the work.
So guess what?
Things began to fall apart and they were so busy lining their pockets that they did not see the rot setting in.
As for Sasol, that is all that has saved the Secunda area from totally falling apart, like most surrounding towns.
That a municipality is so incompetent it has to rely on big business to keep things running, is a disgrace.
Where is the money raised through rates and taxes going if they need to rely on Sasol so much?
Sure, Sasol are doing a great service to the community through their social responsibility programme, but the municipality needs to play a much bigger role.
Thirdly why does the DA not institute a case against the municipality for their violation of Section 24 of the Constitution?
Use the Constitutional Court to get some focus on this mess.
Do this before the pollution from open and malfunctioning sewers ruins our once beautiful area.
Norman Johnston, Secunda.
