DA announcement premature
MONDAY’S Herald included a front-page article on the apparent conclusion of arrangements between the High Energy Users Group (HEUG), and the municipality.
This was based on a DA press release which was both premature and irresponsible. [Our story was based on an interview secured following repeated requests for information – Ed.]
For any meaningful deal to have been concluded, the following are necessary:
The details of the arrangements have to be ratified by council; ý The deal must include: – firstly, agreement on electricity tariffs for 2017/18 (this is partly agreed);
– secondly, agreement on tariff principles for future years (these are not yet agreed); and
– thirdly, agreement on the quantum of arrears to be paid by the HEUG (who have been short-paying for some time) and the date of such payment (also not agreed).
Finally, the financial impact of this entire arrangement must be put to council, and agreed there.
It is much easier to make financial concessions than it is to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the electricity account.
Other industrial users may change their usage patterns, and thus their payments, and this has not yet been calculated.
There are two further issues to note: firstly, while the DA negotiators repeatedly promised the involvement of independent expert advisers to guide the council negotiators, they never made good on this promise.
As such, we have no independent opinions of what is in the best interests of the metro.
And secondly, the future involvement of the courts (or non-involvement) in validating various issues is to be decided – it has not yet been either.
While we understand the modus operandi of the DA caucus to be to deliver misery covered by endless positive press releases, in this instance (and many others) the desperate needs of favourable publicity were won at the cost of the premature release of information in the process of negotiations, which adds another to the now long list of irresponsible acts of this DA local government.
Rory Riordan, ANC councillor, Nelson Mandela Bay municipality