ERMELO – The Msukaligwa Business and Community Forum (MBCF) convened a meeting on 10 August to discuss how an underperforming municipality can be addressed.
Janice Conradie, the chairperson of MBCF, said the only way is to stop money flow to them.
“Only once they are unable to pay salaries will they come to the negotiating table,” she said.
According to her, Msukaligwa Municipality has 564 employees and 48 managers whose salaries amount to about R365m or 30% of its entire budget.
MBCF suggested:
- A mass dispute
- For businesses to withhold payments
- Gert Sibande District Municipality to escalate matters to a provincial and/or national level or for the matter to be referred to Cogta
Residents have themselves to blame
Conradie stated residents are ultimately to blame for the current situation they face.
She said that through the silence of residents, the municipality has been allowed to run rampant without consequence, which in effect has forced the residents into the predicament they find themselves in.
MBCF membership is the way forward for residents in her opinion since they will only be able to affect change once they have enough members.
“MBCF is the tool and vehicle to say enough is enough. MBCF only asks for residents’ time, a bit of effort, a good attitude, a positive mindset, energy and of course a bit of your financial assistance.”
She said they are fighting a war and need a battalion; “We need more people to join our organisation.”
Conradie continued to campaign for MBCF and explained how they represent their members with municipal disputes. She also explained the process of filing a dispute, which results in the municipality not receiving the disputed amount until the investigation has been concluded. In this time they are also not allowed to halt services.
In conclusion, she stated that people should not let others fight their fight, but rather get involved.
Trust fund suggestion
When questions were allowed, a resident asked why a trust fund could not be registered in which residents paid money and the proof was sent to the municipality.
It would be a hassle to administer, Conradie said, and they would have to hire lawyers and accountants, and that would cost money.
Despite the resident and others’ willingness to pay admin fees, Conradie insisted they needed to get the municipality’s attention first and bring them to the negotiating table.
She also posed the question of why create a trust fund when the money they pay is already with the municipality.
‘Why treat gangsters like gentlemen?’
Another resident asked how long they should treat gangsters as gentlemen.
“Our behaviour is so civilized with these gangsters within the municipality, I don’t want to talk to them, I want to shoot them,” he jokingly said. “Talking and negotiating will get us nowhere!”
A vote called by Conradie resulted in the majority favouring a trust being registered over filling disputes of which some residents had no merit to do so.
Residents uncertain and in need of more guidance
Another businessman said that if Conradie wished to strip the municipality of cash flow and bring them to their knees as she indicated, then she needed to take a firm stance and tell people to collectively stop paying Msukaligwa as they could not do it individually.
In addition, he said she should also provide guidelines on what constitutes meritful disputes because the attendees lack the resources and/or knowledge to determine what constitutes merit.
“If rates and taxes cannot be withheld, what can be withheld? The guidelines need to come from MBCF,” he concluded.
Clear and concise strategy
The meeting drew to an end with another resident stating that the previous meeting held with the people of JHB left most attendees confused and resulted in nothing.
He said that residents require a clear “gameplan” and the MBCF should do its homework and come prepared with the answers at a subsequent meeting so that a collective decision is made rather than leaving it up to individuals to decide on their own approach.”
Conradie stated a follow-up meeting would be arranged where they would call on MBCF’s advocate.
The date will be communicated to our readers once received.
