Most of us are aware that municipal elections occur next year. Is this important? Most definitely. But why you might ask.
Obviously the latter have no impact on national government wasting our money on mansions, high speed motor vehicles (two per MP), lavish parties and trips overseas. Oh yes, and huge remuneration packages for highly incompetent buddies who “manage” state enterprises.
Local government is meant to bring essential services to our door. Be this in the form of decent roads, functioning traffic and street lights, water, sewerage, electricity and regular garbage collection.
The question is what have I, as a lowly paying rate-payer, experienced in the past year?
Well many media reports highlight I receive the norm. That is a burst high pressure water pipe in my street that is not repaired for at least three weeks – even though somewhere I read the metro burbling something about water is precious, the digging up of my verge to repair another water pipe leak and just leaving the soil piled high around the massive hole!
This for the past six weeks! Is this a record?
I suppose I should consider myself lucky because unlike other areas regularly experience, I don’t have raw sewerage flowing down the street yet.
When I go for a walk, I have seen drains that remain blocked for many days. Electricity distribution appears okay, although there have been numerous reports of substations that burn out due to age or lack of maintenance.
What do you do when garbage is not collected once a week? Well, keep paying your monthly bill! Municipal ordinances have been passed to ensure no loss to the municipality.
I’m sure many rate-payers can list their experiences. What can we do? Read the first line of this letter again.
Register and vote for change!
