Service delivery has become such a contentious issue, we pay more and get less seems to be the new norm. Who should we hold accountable for this? The Councillor working in the area? The Mayor? The city officials?
Certainly the responsibility lies with those in power for it is their plans (or lack thereof) vision and guidance that is driving the Metro. We have all undoubtedly seen the plans for the future Aerotropolis that would see Ekurhuleni become a huge inland ‘port’. This is great and fantastic but as the old adage goes, a house built on sand soon falls, whereas a house built on rock stands tall. Our infrastructure was never designed to cope with the additional pressure that all the new development brings. We need to build from the bottom up, not from the top down.
The failing of service delivery isn’t just that we have overloaded systems; no, it is more from lack of clear direction. We have good people working in our metro but they are becoming overwhelmed quickly by the onslaught of problems. That alone isn’t enough to bring services to its knees, no, it is ego that becomes the greatest enemy of service delivery. The ego that says ‘I know better, there is nothing you can teach me’.
That’s the real danger and it happens all the time.
So as the service level drops, community’s patience wears thin until the inevitable service delivery strikes. Now not all protest action is service delivery related, some are a reaction to decisions made over housing, land and employment. Recently we saw squatters being removed by the red ants, which resulted in the local councillor’s house being burnt down in retaliation in Duduza.
Now I ask you, that a fair reaction? Is it right to burn the councillor’s house down over decision that they couldn’t have made on their own?
Imagine you have a disgruntled customer that you can’t please and have to remove them from your property, and this customer goes and burns down your house for it!
This is an unfair and unfortunate response to a system that promised the world, but delivered very little. But it is an indicator of the sentiment out there, people are tired of waiting for services, housing and employment and I fear that if something is not done soon, we may see more of the same. It is of course the councillors who will bear the brunt of the aggression; if only the leaders would listen and react as decisively as the community does.
