Sir – After the sweet honeymoon and words uttered by the Mayor on how he will fix the municipality, comes the announcement that he and his merry men will fleece ratepayers by another R1.4-million to purchase official cars for the Deputy Mayor and the Speaker ‘in order to improve service delivery’.
More disturbing are the examples of Umvoti and Nquthu municipalities cited. Maybe it should be noted that Umvoti has some 11 wards and 23 councillors, while Nquthu has some 17 wards and 33 councillors. Some of the councillors from those municipalities are also designated full-time councillors.
Endumeni with some seven wards and 13 councillors, none of which are full-time, and is a Mickey Mouse Council in terms of municipal councils, but it wants to be as flashy as its big brothers. How will these cars improve service delivery?
The law prescribes that the Speaker is the chairperson of Council with some responsibilities in respect thereof, while the Deputy Mayor stands in for the Mayor when necessary.
Nowhere is it legislated that they are ‘supervisors’ to improve service delivery and they have no real accountability in terms of the law. In any case, they do receive monthly travelling allowances from Council to do their work as councillors.
Even more disturbing is the silence of the CoGTA deployed administrator and acting Municipal Manager, both of whom are paid by the taxpayer and are there to see that things happen above board and we are not ‘taken for a ride’.
Surely they should have immediately intervened and stopped the process when this item was tabled in Council? Are they, in their capacity as representatives of CoGTA, happy with this underhanded and illegal process?
Let us also pose these (and many more questions) to our ‘I want’ councillors: how many houses can be built for R1.4-mil? How many potholes can be repaired for R1.4-mil?
How many street name plates can be erected for R1.4-mil? How many really indigent residents can be helped with R1.4-mil? How can R1.4-mil contribute to improving non-existent law enforcement in the municipality? How can R1.4-mil contribute to the cleanliness and neatness of the municipality?
Why can’t a small single-cab not do the same job?
G. Atvollen
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