Sam Nape writes:
The year 2019 laps up any semblance of success and happiness for civil society to actively and rigorously strived for peace and tranquility for the Emalahleni citizens.
Nonetheless, since 11/10/18 the High Court Top Judge Tolmay patiently waited for a contempt of court order to complete her journey and chapter of bringing eMalahleni to a constitutional mumbo-jumbo of serving the eMalahleni citizens with human right benefits and dignity, section 139(5a) and section 38 of the South African Constitution.
Save eMalahleni has been successful to legally interdict and constructively persuade Eskom to date.
But for how long when the debt ballooned from R1.9bn to R3bn in a short time?
We closed 2019 with little rampant protests, violence, and public disobedience common in other municipalities and now engraved in our DNA.
However, no need for a prophet of doom to foretell a tough 2020 on service delivery in eMalahleni.
Good deeds were overshadowed by bad achievements.
Typical example is the fencing of the King George Park in terms of MFMA Sect 138 and 140 (wasteful expenditure), otherwise if donated.
Quality delivery restricts job creation, who knows!
Unfortunately, the last resort by the community will be to become violent, self-destructive and less respect to leadership from a desperate angry platform.
Drawing boards give little 2021 electioneering slogans to appease the much traumatized, unemployed, drug-abused, homeless and crime ridden prospective voters of eMalahleni.
The loud message then will be job opportunities for municipal councillors that will decrease the stats of jobless rate payers.
But my three months’ 24/7 engagement with the top management up to the municipal manager, gave Guqa (Thushanang) a relief of less sewerage leaks (obviously less smelly streets on our birthday parties, wedding and funeral pitched tents), less clean water pipe leaks (obviously less water bills) and ultimate potholes.
Reignited street Apollo high masts is appreciated, luckily not a 24/7 lighting, they’ve got day light switches in terms of MFRP.
Control and monitoring can only be achieved with the full participation of the affected ward.
You are right, very little attention has been offered by the council but you still remain the victim.
Stand up and blow your whistle.
You elected them and not elected by Russia.
Let us all be unsalaried councillors too.
We remain recipients of bad or good service.
This aggressive interaction has yielded fruits and we thank the municipal leadership for listening.
My area can now be called Bankenfeld Extension albeit the rodents which still squatter at unfriendly environmental areas.
This carries the municipal blame for poor monitoring and poor accountability.
Pride of your impeccable clean area cannot be compromised whilst your health is threatened.
Kick the door of the municipal manager if you have to, that’s his open door policy.
Our past 2019 carried a myriad of societal issues that kept us on a pedestal of being top bad achievers in South Africa.
Businessmen and women shot cold blooded mafia style, substance abuse and alcohol addiction, targets on albinos, murders of parents, mass killing of family children, car hijackings, corruption on distributed housing, the list goes on to keep us award winners or on news highlights in the media.
eMalahleni is assured of front pages on national media.
Disgruntlement leading a school teacher to molest girl students at the place of refuge, namely the school yard.
Nonetheless, it was not raining when Noah built up the Ark. We can still make a turnaround.
Whilst eMalahleni remains financially distressed and close to collapse, there is no reason to be recalcitrant or delinquent.
eMalahleni can do it wisely with little resources at their disposal. This is the time to go out and serve the eMalahleni community.
A bleak 2020 carries serious numerous mishaps on poor billing system and poor debt collection.
Lower payment rates at some constituencies will be condoned whilst we sit up with the above two serious failures.
