DEAR Editor,-
As the councillor for Ward 16, I feel compelled to respond to remarks of non-delivery on my side by Garth Garnham of Sea Park (The South Coast Herald – November 14 and 21).
DA councillors regard their accountability to ratepayers and residents to investigate, report and do follow-ups on issues very seriously. However, the physical work of repairing roads, stormwater drains, cleaning plots, fighting crime, closing down of illegal business practices, etc. is the sole responsibility of HCM ANC’s administration, directors, managers and officials – this needs to be stated categorically.
The current deterioration of service delivery on the South Coast on all levels is indeed of huge concern to us. On two occasions, I recently finally had to report the director of roads and stormwater to the municipal manager and the mayor for not attending to serious issues after numerous reports.
Mr Garnham’s predicament is indeed of big concern to me. Soon after I was elected as councillor in 2010, I visited him to discuss and attend to a couple of issues, namely a long outstanding stormwater problem was solved and I managed to have a small bridge built in Border Road near his house; a serious disagreement between Garth and his neighbour was duly defused; and, managers of the Department of Planning were called to investigate illegal structures and business practices next to his property.
The illegal business practices were also reported at the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee meeting. As a result, the premises were duly raided by Protection Services. As the problems continued, I brought the current municipal manager (in his previous position as HOD) out to inspect the appalling condition of the area. This was again followed up with recent inspections by managers of the Department of Planning, as well as Ugu’s Health Department.
Currently HCM is trying to recover unpaid rates and the plan is to auction the property. In the process, the illegal building and other structure will be broken down. The Planning Department recently informed me that registered letters of demand were returned unopened. The only way left is the legal way, which unfortunately is time-consuming.
Service delivery at HCM’s urban wards on several levels is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Frankly, the question needs be posed whether ‘a go slow policy in urban service delivery’ is politically predetermined as we approach the 2014 elections.
On two occasions I have personally been approached by senior ANC activists to cross the floor for my security, “because the ANC has got new plans in place to win back Ward 16”. If poor service delivery is part of the strategy, it is indeed a slap in the face of our new democracy.
A new policy for vacant plot clearing to contract conservancies to take over the responsibility was adopted by council more than a year ago, but implementation is still lacking due to bad planning and red tape – bureaucracy. Overgrown vacant plots are the playground for criminals, as was correctly pointed out in a letter by Pauline Walton of Pumula in last week’s Herald..
As I have stated in a previous letter, we are all in the same boat. We live and own properties on a coastline, which, if well administered, can be the most sought after in the RSA. The situation is not hopeless, provided that the Ugu HCM district municipality immediately accepts the ‘wake up call’, faces the challenges honestly, positively, realistically and acts accordingly.
CLR TAP KRUGER
Ward 16
