Councillors to receive office space to carry out their duties

FRUSTRATED ward councillors in the Buffalo City Metro, who have not had municipal offices to work from since they took office after the August 2016 local government elections, will finally have office space this year.

A new office accommodation plan was approved by council recently. The plan, which was presented by BCM city manager Andile Sihlahla last month, would accommodate 15 ward councillors who have been forced to work from their homes, vehicles or public spaces.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch this week, some ANC and DA ward councillors said they were waiting for their prefabricated offices to be delivered this month and renovations to be done before they can occupy them.

ANC ward 10 councillor Roseline Vitbooi said: “I have been renting a room in Vergenoeg so that I can work and have been paying the R2 000 per month bill personally, so I am very happy that I will finally have a municipal office”.

Her ward includes the areas of Vergenoeg, Egoli, East Bank and Haven Hills South.

“It has been confirmed that BCM will deliver the temporary structure in my ward this month after the metro has re-opened officially after January 16. Once the parkhome arrives, it will be located at Alphen Road where the clinic is located,” Vitbooi said.

DA ward 19 councillor Richard Rooy, whose areas include Green Fields, West Bank, Buffalo Flats and Parkside, said he has been working from home since the August 2016 election.

“My new office is located at the Greenpoint Bowling Club but the office has been badly vandalised after the lessee moved out. I was informed that [this month] the renovation work would commence after the insurance claim came through.

“There will be security upgrading and renovation of the place and I am hoping this will take one or two months so that I can occupy the office,” said Rooy.

ANC ward 32 [Tsholomnqa Village, Kaysers Beach and Ncerha villages 4-7] councillor Vuyani Peter said he was also expecting his parkhome this month.

“The new parkhome will be located in Qhama village which is along R72. Residents have to take two taxis to get to my office, so I am happy about the January rollout plan,” said Peter.

Other councillors have however raised their concerns about the financial implications of the procurement of the parkhomes, saying ward councillors should use available facilities if possible as opposed to the “unnecessary spending” on parkhome offices.

Ward 25 councillor Crosby Kolela said the parkhomes were not “strong enough”. His ward includes:

Phakamisa Township, Zwelitsha Zone 8, 9, 10 and Cliff Location.

“From my own analysis, this needs to be reconsidered. They are a security risk to the councillors themselves. We must make it a point that those offices are secured.

“I support the view that where there is a municipality office it should be used, a hall or rent office. “When dealing with this issue we must make it a point that we are cost effective, we don’t make unnecessary spending as long that office is accessible,” Kolela said.

Council speaker Alfred Mtsi said the councillors advice would be noted and the issues raised “taken care of”. —