LETTER: We keep paying for poor service
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Howard Skeens, of Boksburg, writes:
I’m fairly certain that many of us are highly upset with the political antics happening in Ekurhuleni council and other Gauteng metros.
Efficient service delivery is paramount, but our metros have collapsed as a result of steady deterioration over the past 20 odd years.
These can be attributed to two factors: amalgamating all the efficiently working municipalities on the East Rand into one giant metro called Ekurhuleni.
When there was a problem, in Boksburg in particular, we communicated with Boksburg municipality. Now we have to phone an inefficient call centre, and the problem is forwarded to Germiston, Kempton Park or somewhere.
Secondly, this monstrous metro was immediately staffed with loyal ruling party appointed cadres, instead of competent and qualified persons for the government positions.
The latter beholden to similarly incompetent newly elected councillors. It didn’t take long for these newbies to figure out how to acquire public funds in a big way.
Israel and Italy regularly have political crises, but the government employees (civil servants) are qualified professionals. Efficient service delivery continues.
Many of us are paying for service delivery and what do we receive? A poorly maintained road network, regular power outages not attributed to Eskom, water/sewage problems, refuse removal that does not take place weekly, irregular mowing of public spaces and the grass cuttings left to rot.
Refuse removal, for instance, is charged monthly for weekly collections. But ratepayers get irregular services.
Surely, the metro should give ratepayers a credit if a collection does not take place. We cannot be charged for something not supplied!
From July 1, the metro will be increasing all its charges, but we the ratepayers will not get improved services. They should be reducing our charges because not delivering a service surely means there are savings in costs.
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