DA councillors are more talk than action

WARD councillors are a conduit between the public and the municipality and play a vital role with regard to service delivery.

They have the keys to open doors to various municipal departments and get officials to attend to problems affecting the community.

I have noticed with concern that many DA councillors seem to be shirking their duties.

DA PR councillor for Clare Estate Sagar Singh stated that he was worried about illegal dumping in Palmiet Road. DA councillor Sunil Brijmohan also complained about a similar problem in Lotus Park, Isipingo (“Dumping threatens prayer meeting”, Daily News, January 27).

As councillors, what are they doing about it? Did they consult the Health Department, the Parks Department and Durban Solid Waste? Did they have on-site inspections with officials and asked them to attend to the problem? It doesn’t seem so.

Another DA councillor, Sathasivan Tony Govender, in a letter to your sister newspaper, The Independent On Saturday, complained that burst water pipes in Chatsworth, Silverglen, Shallcross and Savanna Park were be- coming a regular feature.

As the ward councillor, what is he doing about it? It is his responsibility not to complain but to take up the issue with the water department and get it fixed.

Yet we hardly hear of such negative comments from ANC councillors. They go about doing their job quietly.

Take ANC councillor Fawzia Peer, our deputy mayor. When Westville experienced a surge in breakins, house robberies and the murder of a security guard, she rolled up her sleeves, had a meeting with residents and mapped a way forward to address the problem.

I live in Newlands West. Our ANC ward councillor holds a monthly meeting with all stakeholders, including council officials from various departments, Newlands East SAPS and the metro police. All service delivery challenges in our ward are discussed and assurances are given by council officials that the issues will be looked into and action taken.

My advice to DA councillors: stop whinging and take a leaf out of the ANC councillors’ book on how to provide service delivery to the community. SAGREN PILLAY

Durban