Pensioners hounded, but not those who never pay?

CAR LICENCES

EXORBITANT admin fee for an SMS. Multiple documents must still be produced. The “brains” trust whose looters caused the problem must at least call a meeting and instruct licensing departments to accept all licence renewals from everywhere, not just their immediate area. Will help greatly as all on same system.

Congratulations to Hyper by the sea Post Office for great efficiency. Ridiculous that one must queue for 2 hours plus at all outlets. I ROBERT

ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY

The ethekwini Municipality harasses a pensioner for rates just to boost its revenue. There are thousands of residents who never paid for rates, water or electricity. People living in the suburbs are subsidising the ones who refuse to pay their utility bills.

ethekwini, be real and charge every resident for services rendered.

There are some who claim poverty but are living a life of luxury in those RDP homes, driving luxury vehicles and some own more than two RDP homes. Do your homework instead of harassing selected people. Shame on you.

The ethekwini Municipality’s building plan approval department is working at slower than a snail’s pace to approve plans. They are stifling economic growth and job creation. Communication, responsibility and accountability need major improvement. Seven months and waiting for approval of minor development. | FRUSTRATED.

The print media, in my opinion, is by far the most important tool to get information across to a larger audience, mainly reporting on news and events. But the media also has another vital role to play, when its readers or ordinary citizens are affected by unfair treatment by authorities that hold power. The ethekwini Municipality is one such authority hounding old people for unpaid rates, while most government departments enjoy decades of unpaid bills running into billions of rand. It is the duty of newspapers to report such unfair treatment and question such authority to explain their policy between residents and government departments.

The spokesperson for the municipality’s Electricity Department is just providing lip service. The call centre has been a problem long before Covid. The Deputy Heads are well aware of this issue. As for calls not being answered, its staff complement has been the same, but the quality of staff being hired is the issue. As for the phones not being answered, the entire municipality’s phones needs the phone volume adjustments to be removed, every section reduces their volume to zero, most calls are ignored, yet the staff are at their work station. I have had vast experience at the department, I truly believe management needs to start stamping their authority against staff. The planning section for electricity cost is pathetic, just for a basic cost, a 12 month wait, it’s just political placements that are destroying the municipality.

During the month of October, if I do not see municipal workers repairing the street lights on the entire stretch of Higginson Highway you would not be getting any votes … so be warned. I use the road daily at around 7pm and the number of close encounters with pedestrians near the informal settlements near the Shallcross section is frightening.

They wear dark clothing and that too makes them invisible … drivers cannot see them until you are almost on them. Frightening really.

I shall vote for any party that promises to write off all long outstanding municipal bills for the pensioners and unemployed poor people on the ground with no empty promises. | SEW

I have my doubts that the municipality has the ability to run the Mobeni Crematorium. Lenny and Trevor Reddy are ready to take over and make it a huge success. Let us give them a chance. | DHAYALAN

ODDS AND ENDS

Karpowerships – we better keep our eyes wide open, I can already smell corruption. | J

Pupils are already saying No! Never! to the vaccine shots. Why? The repeated visuals of long needles going into arms. Be sensitive and sensible adults please.