KOSRA the ham in the sandwich

The

(KOSRA) is a community organisation caught between great natural beauty on the one hand and the challenge of getting the municipality to do enough to protect and maintain the environment to keep Kenton sufficiently attractive on the other.

Kenton, like so many towns and cities, suffers from shortage of water, unreliable sewage infrastructure, poorly maintained roads and doubtful electricity supply. In the current political and economic environment, KOSRA’s task of getting the municipality to perform is an ever-increasing challenge.

KOSRA has witnessed the evolution of what was once a small sleepy collection of seaside shacks, into grand architectural masterpieces situated on magnificent view sites that attract some of the highest property values.

This transformation has placed greater demands on access to resources which the municipality is unable to meet.

At the same time, the municipality has an expectation of higher rates returns while delivering precious little in return.

It falls to KOSRA to be the interface between the patient and modest expectations of the community and the ever-declining ability of the municipality to step up to the plate.

KOSRA’s dichotomy is Hamlet’s one: whether we should suffer the slings and arrows of municipal ineptitude or whether we should take up arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them.

As municipal service delivery has declined, so have the expectations of parts of the community adjusted downwards.

Some of our fellows publicly distance themselves from KOSRA for the simple reason that they don’t like the noise of discontent that KOSRA has made, needs to make and will make going forward.

So KOSRA’s sandwich is a triple decker: disgruntled ratepayers calling for action, overaccommodating community members who put up with municipal failure, a municipality who are outraged should KOSRA raise its voice.

The status quo is clearly unsustainable.