EDITOR – In the week of widespread memorials for the late Nelson Mandela, I found the advert “Stamp Out Corruption” in poor taste as it echoed the ironic statements made by officials trying to honour Mandela. And amusing for its feeble attempt to portray the eThekwini Municipality as a Caring City.
Nine December was UN International Anti-Corruption Day (advert appeared on 12th) and, interestingly, the Municipality has extended the scope of the campaign by pretending to “ensure integrity, equality, accountability and fairness”.
It further, dutifully, invites us to “report all acts of infringement of Human Rights, Maladministration, Fraud and Corruption” to the Ombuds.
With my experience with the City, its Administrative Clusters and its oversight structures, including the Ombudsman, I can categorically state that the Municipality does not have the will to deliver on what the Constitution and various Acts expects of it, including having a compliant web site.
Nor does it have the will to deliver on the expectations of its very own by-laws and policies.
So we should see this advert as tarnishing the memory of Mandela and its appearance, a justification to tick boxes on some performance check list.
Simply – only one complaint per citizen
Thereafter you will join the ranks of, as the late City Manager, Mike Sutcliffe said, whingers with long lists ‘slammed out’ with ‘whitened knuckles’. And be ignored whilst the City carries on failing.
Mahmood
North Beach, Durban
