COUNCIL NOTES

... the municipality’s voice

Drinking water quality

A report in the council agenda last week showed 100% compliance with SANS standards for e.coli from December 2018 to January 2019 in towns and villages across Ndlambe, except for Kenton-on-Sea which had 75% compliance.

But the entry in the agenda became confusing when it showed a table listing microbiological, chemical and physical compliance and monitoring in Ndlambe towns and villages, with Bathurst/Nolukhanyo, Bushman’s River and Kenton all recorded as having zero percentage microbiological compliance, and Port Alfred as having 25% compliance.

All towns fared badly in chemical compliance, with the highest compliance being Alexandria and Marselle at 22.2%.

The above data is based on summaries calculated on January 23.

Community protection services director Nombulelo Booysen-Willy said testing was only done at the treatment plants, not at individual households.

Quarterly finance report

DA caucus leader and finance portfolio councillor Ray Schenk expressed concern that outstanding debt owed to the municipality had risen to R139,883,479, an increase of more than R4m since September.

But he said the operating account balance of R8,901,547 was “healthy”.

“Looking at income and expenditure we note that at the end of December, 43% of total budget had been spent and 57% of total income had been collected,” Schenk said.

Employee remuneration accounts for 46% of the budget.

Another concern is that government departments owe Ndlambe more than R2.5m which is older than 90 days.

Security

Council moved discussion of a report on municipal security to green paper (not for public hearing) at last week’s council meeting because it mentioned the issue of protests in Bathurst.

The report in the council agenda, from municipal manager Rolly Dumezweni, stated: “Emergency guards are being deployed at all municipal facilities in Bathurst due to previous incidents of arson and crime intelligence gathered by SAPS, as well as verbal threats made to municipal officials.”

Dumezweni mentioned that security guards were currently placed at the Port Alfred workshop including stores, the waste water treatment plant, the Santa pump station, Bushman’s River Mouth workshop, Bushman’s River Mouth treatment plant, municipal pound, the material recovery facility and the Alexandria workshop.

“The above sites were prioritised based on crime-pattern analysis as well as vulnerability of assets due to a lack of proper fencing,” the report stated.

“Fencing has been identified as the biggest challenge on the majority of Ndlambe Municipality owned facilities, including strategic dams and reservoirs.

“The fences are either dilapidated or corroded and in some instances non-existent or incorrect materials have been used for fencing, resulting in theft.

“The new trends in security necessitates that proper modernised and durable fencing be installed. This would eliminate criminal activities such as theft and vandalism, which is likely to occur on unfenced facilities.”

Ndlambe recently advertised a tender for security services, bids for which closed on January 18.

Bathurst protest

On the issue of the protest, mayor Phindile Faxi said it extended back to November and he had personally addressed the protesters four times.

“The fourth time, I was with councillors Stwiga Njibana and Thembani Mazana and the fifth time, it was Mazana alone,” Faxi said.

“We have committed to the protesters that the issue of Bathurst will receive attention from this council. We acknowledge there is a problem in Bathurst and the relevant officials will address the problem.”

Boknes encroachment

“There’s an issue of the white residents of Boknes not being happy with encroachment taking place there,” Faxi said.

“I asked community protection services for a report. We need an amicable solution to this problem. To date, I have not received a report from community protection services. I need to be able to see how these two communities can live together.”

Councillor salaries

Council’s recess committee recommended implementation of a salary increase for councillors and permanent staff in accordance with the Government Gazette.

Finance director Michael Klaas had confirmed the percentage increase was budgeted at 8%. But at that stage the recess committee had not received the Government Gazette, so they did not know if the gazetted increase was less than the budgeted percentage.

The Gazette item was not included in the council agenda.