Waste of good time

With reference to the newspaper article of Friday, February 15 under the heading; “BCM Solid Waste on brink of fresh strike”.

As a DA councillor serving on the Community Services portfolio committee in this municipality, of which Solid Waste forms part, this news is extremely frustrating.

This department will continue to fail to deliver services because it is one of the most politically charged departments in BCMM, and rightfully exposed in this article by the newly elected portfolio head, Cllr Ntsiki Peter.

An extract from the article reads “Politicians in their wards take people for a month or so and this rotates with the community because of these political programmes and projects.”

Since when are politicians recruitment officers? This is a function of the municipality of which there is a HR department, and should not be left in the hands of the politically elected.

There are 50 wards in this Metro of which only five are represented by the DA. The other 45 are ANC wards.

The workers in this programme were procured by ANC councillors, which is both unethical and illegal as it goes against the code of conduct for councillors.

It is this kind of practice which opens the door to corruption and gives councillors a bad name.

We should serve communities irrespective of their political affiliations, and stop securing jobs for pals.

Our residents want services delivered, not political agendas to be driven.

After all these services do not come for free.

All sorts of excuses are made for this department’s failures. Hope arose after the resolution of the strike at the end of 2018. But such hope was to be short-lived.

Solid waste should… start employing people who really want to work.

Only then will we see a difference.

The ANC is solely to be blamed for a dysfunctional waste management system and a failing department that does not have the ability to save us from drowning in filth.

– Cllr Tessa Botha, Ward 4, Buffalo City Metro Municipality, via email