EDITOR – The Berea Mail dated 11 April refers.
Whether they know it or not, and whether they like it or not, is immaterial – each and every one of the paid personnel of eThekwini Municipality, from the highest to the lowest, is a servant of the people. They are paid for their supposed ‘services’ through our rates, yet a quick browse through our weekly newspaper leaves me reeling.
Ward 33 Councillor Nicole Graham is quoted, on pages 1, 2 and 3, in no less than four separate reports concerning failed requests or appeals to our ANC-run council.
Issue No. 1 – Having been “inundated with calls from residents”, it took the potential tragedy of a rotten tree crashing to the ground last month to galvanise her into action. Is it true that the “urgent meeting” she called for with the Parks and Recreation Department has yet to take place? Durban used to have professional tree-fellers and horticulturalists to take care of our beautiful trees and parks. Where are they now?
Issue No. 2 – The eyesore in Essex Road, which has been earmarked for demolition over several years, is another accident waiting to happen. Last year, the owners ignored Council’s instruction to demolish “within a certain time-frame” and now yet another notice has been issued, once again giving the owners a “stipulated time-frame” during which the demolition must be done. Are we talking days, weeks or months to comply here? And, since last year’s order was blithely ignored, is there any reassurance that things will be different this time around?
Issue No. 3 – Our municipality contracted out the job of cleaning up the Glenwood area, according to Ms Graham’s communication with the Solid Waste Department. Can someone explain to us why contractors are brought in to do the work when our own municipal departments are there for that very same purpose? And, now that that scurrilous waste of rate-payers money has back-fired, our councillor blithely suggests the introduction of an ‘Adopt-a-Spot’, so that we, the rate-paying public, use our own time and resources to clean up the place ourselves! What a cheek! That’s a service our rates are supposed to pay for!
Issue No. 4 – The shameful neglect by eThekwini municipality of our open spaces over the years is nothing short of criminal. The indifference displayed by our ANC-led council to our pleas over the past two decades has allowed a criminal element to take over our once-beautiful parks. They are now a haven for homeless people, drug-addicts and opportunists only too ready to relieve the decent folk residing around them of their possessions – and even their lives.
Like thieves in the night, the powers-that-be have gradually forced innumerable sports and recreation clubs to close down, by changing their contracts to a month-to-month basis, thereby cleverly insuring that capital expenditure (especially by the smaller clubs and those in the less-affluent areas, where they are needed the most) has all but ceased. Who would continue to spend money on a property when you could be served with a month’s notice at any time?
Will the next generation of Durbanites get to experience and enjoy our ‘green’ spaces? Not if Ms Graham has her way; she states, and I quote, “The condition of open spaces is a problem which is not going to go away.” Does that sound like the words of a person committed to win our city back for us? No. She continues, “I feel government should consider selling some of these spaces for development.” By robbing us of the beautiful environment in which we live and work, and pay for with our rates, just because our ANC-led council has deliberately allowed them to turn into slums? I think not.
I belong to the Democratic Alliance. So does Ms Graham. If her stance reflects current DA policy, my party has become a stranger to me, and I shall have no alternative but to resign.
Marge Ferreira
Erstwhile Happy Glenwood Resident
*Letter shortened – Editor
