DEAR Editor,-
I don’t know about you, but these days I am ashamed driving on our potholed roads – a common scourge we all have to face on a daily basis all over the South Coast.
And, make no mistake, rural gravel roads have not escaped the general lack of maintenance from Ray Nkonyeni Municipality either. Some roads have developed into no-go areas and residents have to walk kilometres to access public transport.
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A well-maintained infrastructure enhances economic growth and job creation, while a crumbling infrastructure has the totally opposite effect – disinvestment, no growth and job losses.
During every budget process over the past 10 years, the DA has pleaded that more money be allocated to road maintenance.
The answer has always been the same: “Don’t worry, we’ll find more funds later.” Every October the budget runs dry and we then have to wait until the end of January for additional funds from the ‘Adjustment Budget’, which normally runs dry in May (now) as admitted by Simon April (SCH May 18).
To add insult to injury, the ANC-led administration passed a 22.5 percent cut in maintenance expenditure in its Ray Nkonyeni Municipality 2017/18 Budget.
This is insane, considering the state of our roads. Treasury recently published a directive compelling all municipalities to set aside at least eight percent of its total property, plant and equipment value for repairs and maintenance.
The ANC approved four percent, or R44m, which means that there will be even less money available to repair potholes from July 2017. A sad story indeed and we have to ask where the money is.
Treasury also recently issued a directive to all municipalities to reduce its wage bill to not more than 35 percent of the budget.
RNM is sitting on 41 percent and, if one includes all the various contractors and consultants employed, the figure is closer to 50 percent. Herein lies the problem. Unsustainably high figures spent on wages leave little funds left for proper maintenance and service delivery.
The DA has, as in the past, opposed the passing of this budget and, again unfortunately been outvoted by the ANC.
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At least residents will now know whom to blame when dodging potholes and seeing a crumbling infrastructure around them. The only way this can be rectified is to vote the ANC out of power in 2019 and 2021.
The DA is currently studying a landmark judgement in the Eastern Cape High Court between the Eastern Cape Provincial Government and a group of farmers who repaired their own roads.
The court ruled in favour of the farmers, who can now claim their maintenance costs from the Eastern Cape Provincial Government.
If this ruling sets a precedent for local municipalities, it could mean that residents could maintain their roads and claim costs from the municipality. This may be a viable course of action until the incompetent ANC is voted out of government.
GEORGE HENDERSON
DA Councillor Ward 19
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