So the Presidential Roadshow rolled into town this past week, with all the pomp and ‘blue light’ cavalcades that entails.
No doubt all local political deployees were falling over themselves for the perfect photo op with the President.
I am certain that the chosen venue, the Ugu Sport and Leisure Centre was suitably spruced up, and looking at its finest, a far cry from the last time I hosted an event there, when we had to trim the lawns and repaint sections at our cost!
I must confess to being curious about where Ugu District Municipality found the funds to host this Presidential Soiree, with the catering and décor having to be of the highest possible standards. I am certain that the emergency procurement procedures in the supply chain management were stretched to the limit, no doubt leaving many a local service provider smiling at the prospect of uncontested tender awards, and the possibility of a very merry Christmas indeed.
This is unless the national Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) threw open their coffers to the district.
The same Cogta incidentally that was just chastised by the Auditor General for R2-billion worth of unauthorised and fruitless expenditure.
But no worries, the President’s here. This jamboree was all in the name of the Eastern Seaboard Development Project, which apparently aims to leverage and exploit the coastal belt straddling the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces, and includes a proposed brand new city, and turning existing cities on the route into ‘smart cities’.
If ever there was an oxymoron for me in this country, it has to be the term ‘smart city’ in the context of our collapsed local government environment. The other was to try and breathe new life into the District Development Model, launched with much fanfare about five years ago, and appeared to be heading for a slow death like many other government development models.
The reason for my cynicism and ranting, is simply this: I believe that intense focus needs to be given to fixing local government structures.
The basics must be put right before we can dream about smart cities and the like. No amount of technology and spin is going to leapfrog local government into a new operating dimension. The basics include appointments of managers based on competence and skill (I personally couldn’t care if they are party cadres or not), consequence management at all levels, and the reinstatement of boundaries between the political and operational structures at council level, to mention a few.
The one positive outcome that most Ugu residents would have appreciated was the fact that we had a perfect water supply, I am sure across the entire district, and uninterrupted power supply from Eskom on the day. Perhaps the president should visit our shores more often….
Vijay Naidoo is the CEO of the Port Shepstone Business Forum. He writes in his personal capacity. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
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