An open letter to Cllr Alan Cutten.
Our community is under threat. The lack of basic services are getting worse, yet so little pro-active communication is being given to our community.
We all understand that the vast majority of public service falls beyond the scope of what our ward councillors can personally deliver on, yet at times ‘the silence is deafening’.
Electricity, water, roads, parks and recreation and basic service delivery are a shambles. I refer not only to Pennington, but also to Sezela, Park Rynie and Scottburgh, from whom I hear the same complaints.
Our power supply is erratic, our taps run dry, our roads are a mess and the R102 that links our coastal villages is an overgrown death trap.
We have already proven our ability as a community to rise up as we did during the July 2021 unrest, yet now, something faces us of far greater significance and we sit back powerless.
To our Ward 10 councillor, as well as our surrounding councillors and community groups, where can we direct our valid concerns to? What channels are available to us that we, as a community can contribute to?
I refer not to opening our wallets to fund community based replacement of basic services, but rather email addresses, telephone numbers and some direction on how we, as a community at large can contribute towards holding people accountable?
MR SG
Response from Cllr Alan Cutten, Democratic Alliance:
Residents can support the ward councillor and committee by submitting complaints, engaging with the councillor and committee members, attending ward committee and public meetings, and making submissions on the IDP and Budget on issues affecting them.
The mayor, Sibongile Khathi – sibongilekhathi9@gmail.com – is responsible for the Strategic Planning (IDP), Budget Formulation and Performance Monitoring and Intervention.
The municipal manager, Thabisile Ndlela – thabisilen@umdoni.gov.za, is responsible for all Operations and Service delivery by municipal employees.
The councillors are responsible for representing the interests of communities, oversight of municipal performance, Inputs on policy, by-laws, budget and planning. They do not have authority to interfere with operational performance. It is strictly the domain of municipal management who must report regularly to council on what they do.
Log complaints to:
Umdoni Municipality – (roads, storm water, streetlights, verge cutting, overgrown properties, building and town planning, beaches, bylaw enforcement, etc) – Customer Services – Shanaz Khan on email: shanazk@umdoni.gov.za or 039 974 1419/087 2865329.
Ugu District Municipality – (water and sanitation). Ugu District Municipality App; 24-hour toll free number: 0800 092837; SMS: 44751 or email: Info@ugu.gov.za
Eskom – MyEskom Customer App – Alfred the Chatbot, https://alfred.eskom.co.za/chatroom/; Eskom Online https://csonline.eskom.co.za or Eskom 24hr contact centre 086 0037566.
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