DEAR Editor,-
The issue with Bevis Fairbrother’s ‘Butthead’s Beat’ article is that it completely downplayed the catastrophic effect the water interruptions had, not only on the community but on the lifeblood of the South Coast economy – tourism. Bevis Fairbrother lacks objectivity and independent critical thinking and is quite rightly described accurately, by none other than himself, as a ‘spin doctor’. Perhaps what blows my mind the most is that as a journalist, he plays a dangerous game by undermining the intelligence of the community and his readers. While he goes on to unabashedly support municipal manager DD Naidoo, he completely forgets that Mr Naidoo has failed in his duties and responsibilities on three strategic counts:
1 Stategic management of the effective and efficient provision of services to the local community to ensure that services are delivered in a sustainable and equitable manner; 2 Responsibility and accountability for various financial management duties as accounting officer of the municipality in terms of the Municipal Finance Managemant Act (56/2003), to ensure accountability of the municipality`s finance; and 3 Develop and monitor policies at strategic management level to ensure its purposefulness and efficiency.
With these responsibilities comes accountability and when mandates are not being met on a consistent and ongoing basis and the problem worsens over a number of years, impacting loss of income and business and ill health from water contamination, then accountability is of the utmost importance and no amount of spin doctoring, public relations management, blaming or public spats on social media is relevant! Basically, Mr Fairbrother, it’s not the public’s job to ask themselves questions about the situation, it is the public’s job to hold the MM accountable.
The MM appointed as the accounting officer of the municipality in terms of the PFMA, must ensure the highest levels of fiscal prudence and integrity. His answer to the crises caused by the striking workers over their insurance premiums of ‘poor paperwork’ is unacceptable!
To even ask readers what they would have done in the MM’s shoes is just downright insulting! Readers do not have access to decision-making information as the MM has! This question alone lacks objectivity and once again places the onus on the community. The same community which pays the MM’s salary, for making these decisions on their behalf.
Spare us the rather uninspiring content on social media! We live in a world where technology and communication is instantaneous, however Ugu, without a disaster management or communications plan, were caught with their pants down, once again! Inability to communicate with shareholders at a time of utter crisis speaks volumes of the calibre of skills and leadership present in the organisation.
It is about time civil rights groups, organisations, homeowners, ratepayers, business owners, investors and tourism stand together to implement a class action against the municipality. No amount of spin doctoring can cover such dire levels of dysfunction clearly evident at Ugu Municipality.
I leave you with this point, Mr Fairbrother ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing’.
TASMEE HYLKEMA
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