OPINION: ‘We all need to complain about this state of affairs’

EDITOR: This is a report back from the ward councillor, on the status and performance of the Umdoni Municipality and other government departments in Ward 10, comprising Park Rynie South, Kelso and Pennington.

As we approach the end of the second year of this term of local government (2016 – 2021), it is useful to take stock of what has transpired since the local government elections in August 2016. In Ward 10 we are impacted by municipal services, as well as services rendered by several other government departments that have facilities or infrastructure in the ward.

Umdoni Municipality has just concluded the most important exercise in its annual calendar, that of reviewing the IDP and compiling a new budget for July 2018 to June 2019.

The unfortunate truth is that there are no improvements to report on and we are experiencing a general decline in service standards. As a result of this state of affairs residents continue to raise numerous complaints and queries.

The most common questions are:

• What is being done to fix the severely neglected roads and storm-water systems?
• What is being done to address the housing needs at Farm Abrams?
• What is being done to complete the abandoned pump station project in Dolphin Drive?

1. Feedback on the sector government departments:

1.1 Department of Transport
The R102 or P3 (main link road) received some surface maintenance and is in reasonable condition. The verges have been cut back but road-marking and signage remain unattended to. The sinkhole south of the bridge is collapsing again and will require attention soon. The rehabilitation to the roadside erosion at Rocky Bay has been started but work has stopped. These matters are reported regularly to DoT officials.

1.2 Department of Home Affairs:
Engagements with the landlord (private owner) have led to increased parking space for visitors and consideration for a large covered waiting area. The limited staff deal with long queues mostly from outside Umdoni. The poor data connections, staff shortages and equipment shortages have been escalated to senior levels. The drainage and road infrastructure, which is the responsibility of the Umdoni Municipality, remains in a very neglected state despite it being having been identified as a priority issue by the ward committees and councillors. It therefore remains as a priority outstanding issue for Ward 15 and is being pursued accordingly.

1.3 Department of Labour:
The state of the buildings and the site at Park Rynie is disgusting and remains unattended to despite ongoing appeals and discussions with the landlords, namely the Department of Public Works. Officials from Public Works and Labour have acknowledged the problem but make no effort to upgrade or clean up the site. I will continue the engagements with officials, until the property is restored to a state that is fit for use. In its present state it is an insult to the citizens and employees who use it.

1.4 Department of Health
The Pennington Clinic is a poorly facilitated and potentially dangerous establishment, due to neglect by the DoH. The building belongs to Umdoni Municipality and the Department of Health uses it without a formal lease or payment of rent. The structure is not designed for use as a Primary Health Care facility and the public facilities are unsuitable and derelict. The risks associated with the non-compliant storage of medical waste is alarming. The clinic staff render a superb effort under conditions that should not exist. The DoH is aware of the dangers and shortcomings that exist. The municipality is not able to upgrade or use the building because DoH will not commit to firm undertakings. They do not even carry out basic maintenance on lights and water. The greater tragedy behind this bad story, is that the vast majority of users come from Malangeni and must travel by taxi to get their treatment. The long overdue solution is to establish a permanent PHC service in Malangeni, that serves the greater need much closer to home. DoH does not appear to care. It is time for the municipality to give DoH its marching orders, in the interests of forcing them to manage their own services in a responsible manner. The Scottburgh Clinic is similar case in point.

1.5 Ugu District Municipality:
This institution suffers from non-communication, denial and misdirection. The big expensive adverts that attempt to paint a picture of a vibrant, efficient and responsive organisation, belie an institution that is weak on delivery and transparency. The newly introduced billing system has resulted in the non-rendering of accounts to many users. The local office in Park Rynie is incapable of assisting with accounts and one is usually confronted by several women engaged in the consumption of food. The waterborne system in Pennington is choked and damaged by roots, resulting in overflows when it rains and there are no plans in place to rectify this problem. The fire hydrants have not been checked and tested for years and it is doubtful that they would work when the need arises. The aged water infrastructure fails regularly and there are no plans in place for upgrades.

The six-year-old pump-station project stands abandoned despite relentless efforts and the involvement of the MEC’s office, to force Ugu’s hand. The matter has now been referred to the Public Protector’s office for an intervention. There does not appear to be any will or intent simply to get on with this project, or alternatively to rehabilitate the site until such time that a competent authority can take it on.

All evidence suggests that Ugu should have been placed under administration a long time ago. The local plumbing team does its best under trying circumstances. The status of this project, the condition of the fire hydrants, and water aged reticulation systems, are evidence that this institution does not prioritise the business of water and sanitation over many other non-core activities. Tourism, taxi ranks, halls, markets, sports facilities, talent shows, imbizos, bodyguards, drivers, luxury vehicles, consultants, food parcels, etc. all detract from the main business of establishing and maintaining water and sanitation services in an efficient manner. The ward committee and I will not relent in the pursuit of getting this project completed.

2.0 Feedback on Umdoni Municipality:

2.1 Technical Services:
This internal department is responsible for the bulk of Umdoni’s expenditure and is performing at an all-time low. The three roads that should have been rebuilt last year (and in previous years) were not even started. Pothole and streetlight repairs amounted to expensive and limited patch-up jobs, due to the absence of proper planning and good contract management. The glaring neglect of our stormwater systems and the disintegrated state of our roads, are indicative of the lack of expertise in a department that is simply unable to deliver.

The refuse collection is functional but the landfill management and the access road are sorely lacking. The appointment of a dedicated waste manager has made no difference to this situation.

Most distressing of all is the failure of this department to plan and budget for the required road repairs in Ward 10 (and everywhere else). I have escalated this serious omission to Treasury and Cogta. We cannot endure another year of neglect and this is top priority, together with the failed pump station project and the failed housing project on Farm Abrams. Every citizen in Ward 10 must make it their business to send written complaints about service failures and neglect to the municipality as often as possible. The crying baby will get attention and, if we do not cry loud enough or to the right officials, complaining to one another will not fix anything. Written complaints sent to the right recipients, become evidence to substantiate the need for intervention from Provincial and National Government.

1.6 Community Services:
This is the other department that continues to fail our community. This department is responsible for verge maintenance, road signs, traffic management, beaches, libraries, drivers’ licensing, motor vehicle licensing, vet/pound services, fire-fighting services, parks and gardens. The overgrown state of our verges, lack of road markings and name signs, broken beach toilets, appalling test centre, absent pound services… the list goes on… all speak to management that is disinterested and contemptuous. The fact that this department has seen many thefts of cash and equipment and still fails to implement an investigation into numerous reports of corruption at the test centre, tells a compelling story. The department needs a new head. One that will understand what is meant by ‘service delivery’. General housekeeping and community care are simply not on this manager’s horizon.

1.7 Planning, Corporate and Financial Services:
The ongoing failure by the mayor and his party to get on with appointing a permanent municipal manager is crippling Umdoni. Several other critical posts remain unfilled and financial reporting is non-existent in most departments. In this environment of poor controls and non-accountability, the risk of corruption is high. Several recent investigations strongly suggest that looting is the order of the day. Dubious procurements and undue delays with account payments point to the probability of bribery. There are regular incidents where plans get referred ad infinitum, rezonings that do not follow due legal process, and politically linked job opportunities under the opaque processes in the EPWP programmes. The recent protest actions we experienced related to issues of fraud and nepotism. It gives one reason to think that the vacancies are part of a larger plan to create an environment that lacks any degree of accountability and oversight, thus enabling fraud to go unchecked. In the absence of any official or credible explanation, this one makes sense.

1.8 Integrated Development Plan and Budget 2018/19:
The IDP must by law, be reviewed annually, in preparation for compiling a budget that seeks to deliver on the priorities in the reviewed IDP. The logic is simple and obvious. One must prioritise and plan for what is needed, before proceeding to budget within the confines of available revenue. Not so in Umdoni. A budget was tabled in March that was legally non-compliant and it was without a reviewed IDP. Ignoring the legislated need to consult the public first, a deficient IDP was sent to Cogta in April, under the false claim of being a validly reviewed plan. An equally defective budget was tabled for adoption in May and it failed to meet the legal requirement of a majority vote in the council. The legal consequence is that Umdoni does not have an approved budget to operate with. This state of affairs has been escalated to Treasury and Cogta for their intervention. Last year’s IDP and Budget exercise was just as flawed but was not adequately challenged at the time. It was therefore implemented and we have experienced during this past year just how short-sighted and ineffective that budget proved to be.

We cannot allow it to happen again. We must insist that we get the services we pay for through rates and taxes. This is a call for a united demand on the council, to budget for and provide the services we need and should receive. Any failure to meet this demand must be met with a legal challenge that seeks to achieve the service delivery that Umdoni is failing to provide.

EDDIE BAPTIE

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