Municipality receives petition from concerned residents

GRAAFF-REINET — Residents recently hand-delivered a petition to Dr Edward Rankwana, Municipal Manager of Dr Beyers Naude Municipality.

The petition, containing almost one and a half thousand signatures, was an urgent plea from members of the broader community including Horseshoe, Kroonvale, Umazisahke, as well as SA and foreign tourists, to insist on service delivery from the Law Enforcement and Protection Services officers of the Dr. Beyers Naude municipality.

Until such time as the by-laws of the new Dr Beyer’s Naude Municipality are finalised, the previous Camdeboo Municipality bylaws are supposed to remain in place.

“Numerous requests, in the form of letters and e-mails, have been sent to DBNLM during the past year – this is now the final straw!

Animal control, the removal of illegal car guards, street vendors, illegal dumping are all tasks that fall within the job description of the local Law Enforcement officers - however, at this stage, no action is taken by these officers to stop the offenders.” said one of the concerned residents.

“The residents want action and results. The lack of law enforcement has resulted in the community’s frustration and a need for action,” he said.

Regarding their petition, the residents said they want to see the municipal Law Enforcement Officers, actively taking to the streets – daily and continually – to remove the scourge of illegal car guards once and for all, as well as street vendors from the town’s pavements, to stop those dumping waste illegally, to rid the streets of stray animals and ensure the safety of motorists and to stop the public urinating and defecating in public spaces.

Officers need to be constantly visible to discourage these illegal activities and ensure a cleaner, safer and more livable town for all its residents.

Leolynn Smith, the Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality’s communications officer, confirmed that the municipality had indeed received the petition and that the municipality will endeavour to respond to the petition as soon as possible.