Councillor warns mayor to crack the whip – or else

AN ANC councillor on Wednesday threatened Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati and city manager Andile Sihlahla that if they did not crack the whip in the metro, the whip would be cracked on them.

Ward 25 councillor Crosby Kolela was addressing the BCM council concerning the continuous computer network crisis and other problems experienced by thousands of King William’s Town ratepayers, residents and staff at its municipal offices.

A report tabled by Sihlahla in council on Wednesday concerning the matter stated that BCM’s ICT section was in the process of rolling out its own fibre network to all BCM sites.

“The ICT section in the meantime has provided additional 3G connectivity for the BCM cashiers to enable them to assist the members of the public . . .

“We are in the process [of starting] with Phase Two of the fibre roll out, which will be between King William’s Town and Bhisho. It is estimated that the fibre installation will be completed [soon],” said Sihlahla in the report.

However, Kolela, whose ward includes Phakamisa, some Zwelitsha zones and Cliff Location, said the report was all good and well but action was needed.

Kolela said: “The report is good on paper. I want action, action, action as [in] yesterday.

“Please honourable mayor, and you my honourable city manager, crack the whip, if you are not cracking the whip we will crack the whip on you.

“This issue must be given priority not only in King, the situation is bad.

“Residents stand in long queues and you tell them computers are down. There is not even a printer in some of the offices, you are just writing on a blank paper . . . that is how the community of King William’s Town is served.”

Kolela said although he had seen the report, he was worried that reports were noted and approved in council but on the ground there was no improvement.

“King William’s Town is not a suburb, it’s a town, it has business people, it has ratepayers who are contributing large amounts of money to this council but if you see the state of King William’s Town, because of this network it is degenerating.

“When somebody is asking just for an invoice you will be told that the machines are not working, they write on a piece of paper and they say that is what you owe. I don’t want this issue to be taken lightly, ” Kolela added.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday about his “crack the whip” comments, Kolela said the mayor and city manager were accountable to the council and the platform was where councillors were able to deal with matters to find solutions.

“By the law we are not allowed to give directive to the junior staff members, that is why we are harsh to the two people who are accountable to us. They must give the directive to the junior staff – ours is to take decisions as the supreme body, whether a resolution is implemented through the mayor or city manager it should be carried through,” he told the Dispatch.

Kolela is one of the councillors who were linked to suspended ANC regional secretary Pumlani Mkolo’s faction, which is largely linked to the provincial faction of new ANC provincial chairman Oscar Mabuyane.

He was recently one of those who voted against an ANC caucus decision to temporarily appoint Ncumisa Sidukwana as acting BCM city manager.

His stern warning could be seen as the beginning of a purge on Pakati’s ANC faction, which was linked to the former chairman Phumulo Masualle’s faction in the recent provincial conference.

Mtsi said the network failure had indirectly affected the integrity of the councillors who served in the affected offices. —