MANDLA RADEBE of Norkem Park writes:
I would like to express my gratitude to two fellow anonymous residents who recently made their pronouncements on the couple of issues the executive mayor, Mr Mzwandile Masina, mentioned as part of his priorities in his acceptance speech.
These are very important issues as far as I am concerned.
It does seem like the renaming of roads is of utmost concern to these residents. I just want to send a word of caution to all of us as residents of Kempton Park, that although Kempton EXPRESS is by far the best platform for us to communicate with each other, especially giving each other warnings and stimulating thoughts, it is, however, not the end.
Also read:
• Leave our street names as they are
• Mr Mayor, first please the residents
The mayor will most probably not even read what we write here and I don’t even think he bothers with what we say. I therefore suggest that after we have spoken on this platform, we further write formally to our councillors and inform them that we want these issues tabled as part of the assembly agenda, so that they can receive the attention of people who can do something about them.
I know they are leaders and want to be given a space to lead, but it is time leadership started from the grassroots. What they call priorities, are priorities according to and for whom?
They often talk of the “government of the people by the people” but they have their own back-of-the-matchbox priorities. This is the new era, we have suffered enough bad and weak leadership from national to local government, and complacency on our part is not a virtue.
Councillors should carry our agenda, not theirs or their party’s.
If Masina wants to change street names, we must decide what our streets should be called and if change is necessary at all. But one question remains, should that be a priority? Why?
Does it create jobs, does it grow the economy, does it keep our communities safe or does it deliver health care? But, do not be deceived, he won’t bother with what we consider it to be, as long as it sits on the pages of Kempton EXPRESS, it means nothing to him.
Though his “less talk, more action” should be people oriented, he will never bother coming to people for action points, until people go to him. Unfortunately it is the way today’s leadership works.
