Editor
Allow us to comment and pose some questions about the interesting article published by uThukela District Speaker, Cllr Tim Jeebodh in the paper recently about water debt write-offs.
Baba Tim now you recall how you came into power in 2011 and promised communities of Estcourt that if you are voted into power, you will deal with the water issue, as you see it as a crisis in uThukela.
You formed the WATER CRISIS COMMITTEE with some of the ANC councillors elected in 2011.
Since 2011 when you came into power, you were silent about the water crisis. Amongst the things you pretended to be fighting for before you came into power were:
1. Water tariffs – complaining that it was too high but nothing changed.
2. Water meter readings – claiming that it was not read properly but today it is worse.
3. Water debt write-offs – was your first priority but only came up three years after you came into power.
4. Water tankers – you claimed that it was not helping the people but you bought double the number than the previous leadership.
We think you have lost your direction and thinking capacity, if Cllr Dawood was still alive, such publicity was not going to be made, it clearly shows that it is because of the by-election in Ward four.
It is high time that the ruling party (ANC) has to STOP this bad habit of giving people long awaited development after the death of councillors.
What lessons are you giving innocent and ignorant communities, are you encouraging them to kill councillors in order to get development and to see faces of government during election time with empty promises?
Baba Tim are you fooling people about your publicity just for March 26 by-election or for general election on May 7?
If not why there is no specific date and the day for the write- offs?
Why you only selected Umtshezi Municipality out of five municipalities under you as the district municipality, is it because of the by-election?
Last year you misused R78 million according to the Auditor General, who benefited from that monies?
Last year and this year you got a DISCLAIMER AUDIT OPPINION, meaning you could not account for the monies you used, do you still see yourself capable of running uThukela District Municipality?
Are you fearful of the ROC committee established in Ward four?
Mthemeni Majola (IFP Chair) and Ms Noluvuyo Hadebe (Colita resident)
I am more confused about the writers of the article. Do they want clarity on the write offs, the happenings on uThukela, or the by-elections?
I can attribute some of the poor language to APARTHEID. Some citizens prior to 1994,were given BANTUSTAN EDUCATION, some of us chose to educate ourselves, some remained ignorant, but are leaders today. Interesting times.
Since the IFP Chair is concerned about political survival, and the ward four by –elections, I am sure the ANC leadership at structural level will respond.
However as a ward four resident, I am very interested.
In the last 2011 election the IFP garnered a very healthy number of 31 votes out of a total of 3 400 votes.
That is the kind of confidence the people of ward four have in the IFP.
This year also marks the sad moment of ten years of the death of Councillor Stanley Chetty.
His family mourns their loss of a husband and father.
All because he chose to practise his democratic right. His killers were never brought to book, and so were the many people who died in Estcourt.
Was it not the IFP who were in political control of this area? Was it not all these leaders who saw the back of the courts so many times?
Of course there might be no convictions, so you remain innocent until proven guilty. But remember a higher KARMIC law prevails, you shall reap what you sow.
You sow mayhem and murder, you shall reap likewise.
I don’t have to answer to the IFP, THEY DO have representatives at the district municipality, and all state information is public. The Auditors General’s Report, three sets of Forensic Reports, and all functions are in the possession of all 31 district councillors.
The IFP chair does not pay for water, so water write offs does not affect him in any way. It affects the community who fought and took uThukela to court.
The IFP officials used the municipality as their personal piggy bank.
It came to a stop in 2011.
It would take at least ten years to bring the district municipality to normality, AND IT IS HAPPENING.
Tim Jeebodh
Uthukela District Municipality Speaker
