Nahoon ratepayers’ requests to BCM falling on deaf ears
THE article “BCM ‘lost’ its service contracts” (March 19) refers. Buffalo City Metro discloses they have “lost” all the existing contracts; the Nahoon Area Ratepayers’ Association (Nara) submits that we have repeatedly over the last two years told municipal manager Andile Fani that it is essential that an effective document management system be implemented because letters, faxes and e-mails written to the municipality are often “lost”.
Lack of communication remains a huge issue. When accounts were sent out late in December and January, BCM failed to advise the public that it would happen or the reason for it; when they wanted to enter into new service agreements a letter was popped into February accounts without explanation.
Meanwhile, the public cannot communicate with BCM because many of the telephone numbers on their website are wrong or outdated; often the switchboard is unable to assist because they also have incorrect numbers and so phones ring unanswered.
We keep saying the same things repeatedly, and nothing changes.
Nara would like to point out that requests for a meeting with the executive mayor was acknowledged as received, but five months later the meeting has not happened. Ratepayers’ representatives met not only with BCM but with Treasury and agreed to an action plan in November 2011. These points (including a document management plan), remain unimplemented.
So when BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi urges us to trust BCM, we respectfully point out that trust is like respect. It is earned, not given. — Colin Cockcroft and Exco Nahoon Area Ratepayers Association
Spirit of Chavez lives
THE symbolic importance of Hugo Chavez, the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and Latin America will continue to function long after his death.
Chavez had passion in his convictions, which is necessary to move the world out of suffering. For those who strive for solidarity, freedom from alienation and to live for humanity as a whole, rooted in love for our people, Chavez’s death has left a gaping hole.
His presidency was premised on the idea that the wretched of the earth had the right to eat regularly, be provided with quality homes, granted access to education and given quality medical care. Chavez believed the poor had a right to live lives of dignity.
For these ideas and policies he earned hostility from the global neoliberal elites and controllers of the world. As head of state he radically exposed the weakness of global imperialism led by the United States. The Imperialist Western warlords, Venezuelan elites and their media propagandists, correctly saw in him a determined foe to their greed, financial and moral corruption and bullying.
Chavez did not outsource his historic responsibility to corporate profiteers. He understood that rapacious capital is not in the business of nation building.
The importance of Chavez in the history of the postcolonial world is monumental because he won the real battle of developing a former colony against Imperialist domination. According to data from institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, and Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) all of which had adversarial relations with the Chavez regime, Venezuelan society underwent profound changes under Chavez.
In 1999, unemployment was 18%; in 2012 it was 6%; GDP in 1999 was $4 000 per capita, in 2012 it had risen to $11 000 per capita; poverty in 1999 was 24% in 2012 8%. Infant mortality in 1999 was 20 in 1 000 – in 2012 it was 12 in 1 000; oil exports in 1999 were $14billion (about R129-billion) – in 2012 $60-billion (about R553-billion).
Under Chavez’s leadership Venezuela has the fifth-largest body of students in the world, with more than 20 universities having been built in just over a decade. More than 90% of Venezuelans eat three times a day.
His enemies caledl him a dictator even though he was popularly elected. We will not forget you, El Commandate, and we will keep the spirit of your ideas alive until we are all free.
As the youth of the world, Africa and South Africa, we draw inspiration from this fearless fighter and cogent revolutionary. – Andile Lungisa, president of the Pan African Youth Union
What about Syria?
IT IS so sad that people have so much to say about Israel when so many people have been killed in Syria and thousands have had to flee for their lives. Who is speaking out for them? — Val Scheepers, Amalinda
Guevara reflections
IN THE context of present South African politics – if one can call it that – one might muse upon the thoughts of a once great enemy of this land:
“Let me say at the risk of seeming ridiculous that the true revolutionary is VOORTREKKER road from Cambridge towards Mdantsane is being fixed and guess what? Potholes are emerging on the new tarred plots as you pass the Wilsonia traffic department and immediately after passing the turn near the rail crossing.
Worst of all, is that there’s a pothole which has not been fixed but seems to have been painted black so it doesn’t look like a pothole. It’s dangerous – one can’t see. It’s been like that for two weeks. I’ll bet a tyre burst is about to happen there. It’s so unfair. — Veve, via e-mail