A visibly angry Councillor Anthon Raubenheimer closed a ward committee meeting right after it started after municipal officials again failed to put in an appearance.
The ward two committee meeting was to have discussed several community issues, including the building of a creche in extension 18, the setting up of security cameras in the business areas, illegal dumping and the state of the municipal by-laws.
“These issues have been hanging for months. The minutes always indicate that the relevant municipal official must report back but management never attends these ward two committee meetings. These meetings are pointless as we just go around in circles as a result of the lack of interest from officials. Perhaps it is a direct way of boycotting this ward,” he told committee members, some of whom had travelled from Glencoe to attend the meeting at the municipality.
“I would rather close the meeting and tell management that this ward will not meet until we get proper feedback and have officials in attendance at our meetings.”
“The coal route proposal to rid the town of coal trucks has also been on the agenda – but we never get feedback. I would rather close the meeting and tell management that this ward will not meet until we get proper feedback and have officials in attendance at our meetings.”
The fact that some of his committee members have not received their R500 monthly stipend since December 2013 also irked Mr Raubenheimer who said he had brought up the issue on countless occasions but never received any joy.
“We believe our ward meetings are very meaningful for the town. This is not about politics. All the other members from the other five wards get their money but we don’t know what they do. We are singled out because we are not an ANC ward.” Members of the ward committee appeared to agree with his sentiments. Twelve minutes after opening the meeting, he declared it closed.
