DON’T IGNORE COUNCIL ELECTIONS

LOCAL government elections take place tomorrow all over the country which will determine the levels of service delivery for the next few years. However, before one engages on these elections it is very critical to look at the lack of service delivery at national level in order to underscore the importance of changing our attitudes towards those who hold public office.

The deteriorating management of the health sector is a case in point. It is devastating to hear how government has neglected cancer patients by failing to keep up with financial obligations for their treatment in South Africa. The decision not to pay was made by human beings in the Treasury who were acting on instructions of the Cabinet of the day that is said to be dictating what is priority spending and what is not.

To classify patients needing specialist treatment under the Phalala Fund and the Civil Servants Medical Referral scheme as least important is pathetic to say the least. Shame on you government. We elected some of these men and women decision makers while others were appointed; all to act in the best interest of the people. However, their actions confirm the opposite. This appalling state of affairs calls for each one of us to seriously revisit our attitudes towards people who hold public office and how they get there. We don’t do enough to hold them to account and their complacency is costing lives.

This is brought about by our apathy towards elections. We have reached a level where we don’t consider ourselves important enough to make a difference; maybe because we talk but nothing much changes. However, we can’t allow ourselves to become part of the problem. An immediate test for us is tomorrow when we go to the polls to vote for capable people to serve as municipal councillors to work hard towards the development of our towns and cities. These are people we will entrust with our money to make sound decisions that are in the best interest of the residents who pay rates with the expectation of good service delivery.
The big question is WHO will you vote for and WHY? Let’s remind ourselves that municipalities are responsible for the control, management and the administration of our towns or cities. They ensure our streets and public places are well maintained, our health is safeguarded, nuisances are dealt with, sanitation services are running properly and housing is adequate among other things.

Those we elect will have the power to levy rates, raise loans for projects, promulgate by-laws, approve building plans and control building activities. This is a lot of power to give to someone. All the more reason you need to know and trust the person you give it to.
Residents should never forget that they are the owners of the local authority through their individual rights over individual pieces of land, not the other way around. Residents have a very strong say in how the local authority should be managed and do so through their representatives in council. Therefore, to reverse the current trend where the tail is wagging the dog, residents need to think hard before casting the ballot.

We need representatives who will develop policies that live up to our aspirations as residents not a top down approach dictated by the whims of council managers in pursuit of their selfish agendas that benefit their cronies through tenders. Often we pay very little attention to these elections simply because they appear insignificant yet they impact our daily lives more directly than the national elections.
We need people who are able to read and understand the legislation that governs municipalities as well as the Rating Act. These are pieces of legislation that are being used and abused to the detriment of those they were intended to benefit. This has to stop.

Lack of easy access to land in the urban area has seen a rise in unstructured townships emerging on the outskirts of our towns and cities. They too will soon be swallowed up by an expansion of urban boundaries, driving people further away from their workplaces. No resident deserves to lose a dream home for failing to pay unaffordable rates that have been approved by our so-called representatives.

Just like the neglected cancer patients, these residents will have no one to turn to if our representatives either shun their responsibilities or become bootlickers of the municipal CEOs. This is the reality that confronts us and unless we elect people we can trust to bring about proper development for the benefit of the people, we will only have ourselves to blame. Vote wisely.

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