DEAR Editor,-
With reference to the article (SCH May 22) where the mayor of Umuziwabantu uses the ‘same old’ excuse and blames colonialism and apartheid, as most politicians do these days, when trying to excuse their failure in providing basic services. Albeit that basic services were not provided to rural areas in the district in those days, that excuse is no longer acceptable.
We agree that, due to the ‘former apartheid state’, necessary skills and education was denied many, but this does not give those currently in authority the right to employ incompetent people. These necessary skills take hundreds of years to develop and rushing people into key positions is definitely not the answer, as has been proven in South Africa over and over again (Eskom, SAA, postal services, SAPS, defence force, sewerage and water services, and above all the Rand exchange rate).
In the days of ‘colonialism’, local councils were only able to use income received from local rates to provide services. There were no MIG grants, equitable share or any other finance dished out by national government. Councillors were not paid a cent for helping run the town, it was done voluntarily and free of charge. That is not the case today – tens of millions of rands are dished out annually to councillors, mayors, municipal managers and speakers.
There are rumours that as much as 60 percent of the budget is spent on salaries and wages, which, if correct, leaves very little for important infrastructure and development.
As far as the commitment of funds is concerned, if only this council would award all tenders and contracts to companies who are qualified and competent to complete the job. Almost every tender or contract awarded locally has not been completed by the original contractor, and second, third and even fourth contractors have been brought in to complete the job, which is simply a waste of scarce funds.
The new stormwater drainage system for Hawkins Street is one such contract started some years ago but still not completed. This was a prime case of a tender being awarded to an incompetent contractor. We know that local council promotes BEE and Affirmative Action contractors, but the manner in which some tenders have been awarded is unacceptable. We are also aware that there is disagreement between local council and the provincial roads department as to who is responsible for this road, but it’s still no excuse for the current state of the road.
When the current ANC government took over, the town was neat and tidy and all facilities fully functional. The fact that there has been a vast increase in population and various new townships established, to cater for these residents should have necessitated planning around infrastructure. Nothing has been planned for water and since it is now depleted, water trucks are deployed at a huge expense.
The sewerage system is incapable of dealing with the town’s demands and this has led to contamination of the Umzimkhulwana River with dire consequences for those downstream. The attempts by Ugu to upgrade the sewer system has been a nightmare. (Here again, the original contractors were unable to complete their contracts.) And, with the latest upgrade in Harding West, Ugu forgot, or were unable to award the tender for a new pump station to increase the capacity of the sewerage works, which should have been the first tender awarded. This is a fact, as I served on the local committee liaising with contractors.
Yes, it is problematic providing services to so many, but the situation is further exacerbated by a culture of people expecting to receive services free. And when they do not get what they want, they strike or protest, often turning violent, causing damage and affecting businesses who create employment and drive the local economy (as recently experienced in Harding).
Unfortunately the ANC government has created this culture in return for votes and the irony is that the same people who strike will vote for them again, which makes one wonder if they will ever actually understand their predicament. Individuals had better learn quickly that they are responsible for the children they bring into this world and it is not up to society to have to cater for them.
It is no small wonder that overpopulation is never mentioned because the ANC hands out child grants to encourage it, and hence relies on a large support base of loyal members who have very little chance of breaking the shackles of poverty.
PAUL BELBIN AND GUY PAYN
Harding
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