DEAR Editor,-
It would seem that there is a lot of confusion about who is responsible for the multiple crises facing our local community. The dominant crisis currently is the #waterwoes that our community is suffering. Who’s to blame? The ward councillor? The Ugu municipal manager? Third force saboteurs? The real blame and solution lies with citizens themselves. There is even confusion about what Ugu and Ray Nkonyeni Municipalities are and who is responsible for what services!
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In our local community, there are two local governments. Established by the constitution and implemented mainly by the Municipal Structures Act, Municipal Systems Act, Municipal Finance Management Act, Property Rates Act and the Division of Revenue Act (amongst many others). Ugu District Municipality is responsible for water, sanitation, public health and disaster management. Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM, formerly Hibiscus Coast Municipality and Ezinqoleni Municipality) is responsible for most other basic services like roads, refuse collection, street lights, facilities management, by-laws enforcement, etc. This is a brief outline of the two main streams of operation of local government in our area.
Every five years, local government elections are held. The voter receives three ballot papers. One for the ward councillor in the ward of RNM where they reside. One for the party of choice for RNM and one for the party of choice in Ugu district.
We have a system of direct and proportional representation which determines the majority party in both councils which determine, mainly, budget and policy.
It’s these budgets and policies that the administrations (headed by the respective municipal managers) implement.
It’s the budgets and policies that determine the service delivery operations and standards in each municipality. It is failures in these budgets and policies that cause poor service delivery.
Currently, the majority party in Ugu and RNM is the ANC, with the DA as the main opposition. So, simply and unassailably stated, the ANC, as the majority party, is responsible for the crises facing our community. The most important being the horror that #waterwoes is inflicting on our socio-economic stability. The majority party determines the budgets and policies and appoints the most senior staff in administrations. Let’s see how councillors Mondli Chiliza and Selvan Chetty (Ugu mayor and ANC spokes) spin their way out of that without trundling out the tatty race card deflection!
So, full accountability for the service delivery failures lies with the ANC as the majority party in both councils. They got to be in the majority because that was the choice of the majority of citizens who took the effort to vote in local government elections.
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While the ANC is accountable, who is responsible? The local community itself. As voters, you can choose to vote for ‘fit for purpose’ councillors and a party with a stunning track record of efficient, transparent and responsive service delivery. The DA. Where we govern, we govern well. Or you can choose to accept what you are suffering and continue voting for the party that is directly accountable for the ongoing challenges and horrors that our community is suffering. The ANC.
It’s up to you to be the force for change in our local community and your responsibility to choose wisely determines the services you will receive, that you are due and pay for!
DAVE WATSON
Ward 2 Councillor, RNM
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