DEAR Editor,-
All contests that generate a ‘winner’ have criteria for judging.
For example, certain beauty contests have defined criteria on which contestants are judged – near perfect body, symmetry, stylish deportment and a vapid opinion on world peace and bunnies result in one person being crowned.
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Is that fair to people not endowed with the characteristics of the criteria? Of course not.
The criteria for judging the best municipality and municipal manager were set for all contestants.
Within the confines of the evaluation matrices, Ray Nkonyeni Municipality and our municipal manager, were adjudged the winners. And rightly so.
Are the criteria reflective of real, on the ground and measurable service delivery standards?
I would suggest not, as we live the daily experience of poor standards and implementations of many aspects of basic service delivery.
This is the result of ongoing budget and policy problems in place and reduce the ability of the administration to deliver acceptable standards of service delivery.
These budgets and policies are the responsibility of the majority party in council and it is council that must bear responsibility for the inadequacies so vividly experienced by our residents.
So are we the most ‘beautiful’ winner? Yes. Is that fair or related to the real world? No.
So let’s let our municipal manager and his administration enjoy the accolades that are based on the criteria of these awards.
Then let’s demand of council that it gets real and relevant when it comes to providing proper service delivery, implementing our by-laws and growing our local economy to provide the hope and employment levels that we so urgently need.
Those standards are in the hands of the residents themselves at the ballot box!
That’s where we all need to become winners and the competition must be based on the criteria that we as residents and ratepayers set!
CLLR DAVE WATSON
Ward 2 Ray Nkonyeni Municipality
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