Back off, anti-Beetge brigade

EDITOR – I seem to have missed the point when reading all the letters complaining about the ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge.

Read some of the articles here

Firstly, to have been appointed, he must have received the majority of votes, which would mean most people in the ward or the vicinity approved of what he had achieved in his previous term.

Perhaps Toti residents don’t know what transpires in many areas, including the Athlone Park area, where the ward councillor is completely and utterly absent in every sense of the word. We never hear from or about her and there is a complete lack of accountability in terms of what she is doing for the betterment of the community. In fact, the only reason we know we have a ward councillor is because we read about it in the Sun or checked the IEC website for the outcome after the elections.

In contrast, your Beetge can be seen driving around the area in his marked van, and actively reports back on issues that he involves himself in. He reports back. Feedback means he’s done something. It’s no guarantee that the outcome will always go your way but the reality is that he gets stuck in and does things.

It is obvious to me that as one of at least 100 councillors in the city of Durban, he represents one of as many areas which all have needs they feel should be prioritised. The city of Durban, its management and the line departments and sections tasked with carrying out their civic duties are the ones to hold accountable for service delivery and outcomes of decisions. After all, a ward councillor doesn’t actually make a decision himself in isolation to the entire council structure.

By all means, engage with and even complain about your ward councillor when they don’t do their job, but also know and acknowledge someone who is at the coal-face and working with your best interests in mind.

ENOUGH SAID