Lack of efficiency at city council plans department disgusting
FOR a number of years, I have been a critic of the City Council Plans Department, especially from the southern suburbs. The service has gone from bad to worse. It is, quite frankly, pathetic.
Trying to get some sort of answers on the levels of service is next to impossible. Letters to the mayor’s office, to councillors, and to all and sundry are either ignored or fobbed off.
Hopefully, the City of Cape Town can be embarrassed enough by an open letter to try and do something. I truly doubt it, but this is a last resort, not an initial one.
Councillor Eddie Andrews, it’s really about time you started doing the job we the citizens of Cape Town pay you to do, sort out the minions who assume because they arrive for work that that’s the end of their responsibilities.
To have plans in the council for month after month because of the inefficiency of staff that could never make a career in the outside world is frustrating, costly and detrimental to business.
To be told your plans are on “somebody’s” desk and have been for six weeks and that person again tells you he will take three months, and is entitled to do so, is nothing short of disgusting.
What has happened to the ethos of serving the public to the best of your ability, taking pride in your work?
It’s long gone. Instead we have an attitude of “how dare they expect me to work and interfere with my day and, what’s more, actually expect me to be productive. Solitaire on my computer is so much more of a fun way to spend my taxpayer-funded day”.
Three months, councillor Andrews, in terms of present-day escalation, that added onto the four months one particular plan has already been in the council, adds up to a lot of money and can be the difference in work proceeding or being cancelled.
Cancelled jobs mean staff redundancy and hungry mouths not being fed.
Is this really what this DA administration is promoting? Is this official policy? If it is, then oh boy are you in trouble at the next elections. If it isn’t, then why are you allowing this present system to continue?
Why do we have the arrogance of the people that work in offices of the municipalities, the arrogance that says, “I’m more important than you because I can mess you around and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it”.
I have news for them and you councillor, I can do something. I can vote. Frank Allewell Bergvliet