GRRPA and CoGTA will discuss concerns

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - A meeting between the Graaff-Reinet Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRPA) and Mzwake Clay from the Sarah Baartman District Support Centre of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), has been scheduled for Wednesday 1 June to discuss concerns regarding the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality (DBNLM).

The GRRPA started corresponding with CoGTA after they received no response to a petition against municipal salary increases in 2020, but since then they have been in communication.

One of the issues they say needs to be discussed relates to the fact that the matter of the removal of the mayor of the DBNLM, Ewald Loock, remains unresolved.

The special council meeting on 18 May was adjourned allowing time to obtain a legal opinion on whether the removal of the mayor complied with section 53 or 57 of the Municipal Structures Act, but to date there has been no update.

Liz Buisman, a member of the Graaff-Reinet Residents and Ratepayers Association, explains that this situation is problematic particularly since the end of May was the due date for the adoption of the draft IDP and draft budget.

Council has not adopted the draft IDP and draft budget and, in effect, this means that the municipality does not have any budget for the next financial year.

Buisman says that the Graaff-Reinet Residents and Ratepayers Association do not wish for the municipality to be placed under administration and for this reason they approached CoGTA for intervention.

Buisman believes that residents need to put pressure on the municipality and engage with government structures like CoGTA to ensure proper functioning of the municipality.

"We need more interventions and pressure from more people as opposed to administration."

Buisman emphasises the importance of people working together, adding that the ratepayers need the municipality to work with them, but it appears as if the municipality has no interest.

"We find that the municipality has a kind of antipathy towards people in the community. Why not welcome people who want to give some kind of assistance?"

According to Buisman, the Chief Operations Officer of the municipality, Hans Hendricks, corresponded with CoGTA and stated that the municipality does not have to work with the ratepayers.

He also informed the ratepayers that there will be no further meetings between the municipality and the ratepayers as the municipality is of the opinion that the work done by the ratepayers is similar to the work done by council. Buisman is not in agreement with this.

"The Municipal Systems Act makes provision for both residents and ratepayers' associations and municipal councils. These structures have different functions. Councils are political structures whilst the residents and ratepayers' associations are not."

In terms of the Municipal Systems Act all local governments must actively promote the involvement of local communities in affairs concerning their local areas. These affairs particularly refer to aspects of planning, service delivery and performance management.

"The Ratepayers Association attempts to remain informed about everything that happens in the community and intervenes when things are not legal or in residents' favour. Ratepayers Associations would never be needed if everything worked the way it should, but because it does not work people bring their problems to the Ratepayers Association in the hope that the Ratepayers Association will be able to solve it."

Buisman is of the opinion that the municipal officials do not care about anything that happens, or does not happen, in town as many of them are not from Graaff-Reinet.

"They do not own property here and therefore they have no real vested interest in the state of the town. Their argument is that the municipality is better than others in the province but surely that should not be the standard that we are aiming for."

Buisman says that the ratepayers want the municipality to recognise that ratepayers have a role to play and that they can be helpful.

"There are lots of people in town with great knowledge and skills, but the municipality appears to be threatened by them." The ratepayers also need people to be more supportive.

"More people in town should be involved in something that builds the town. It does not matter what they are involved in, whether it be the local animal welfare societies, charities, environmental issues, the heritage society, as long as they are involved in something that positively contributes to the community."

Liz Buisman, a member of the Graaff-Reinet Residents and Ratepayers Association.