Aberdeen ratepayers still frustrated by DBNLM

Aberdeen ratepayers are frustrated by the fact that none of the short- and mediumterm service delivery interventions that the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality (DBNLM) committed to during a meeting between representatives of the DBNLM and the Aberdeen ratepayers on 11 February materialised.

This meeting was in response to the Aberdeen ratepayers’ demonstration on 8 February when they took it upon themselves to initiate a process of cleaning up the town by themselves. It followed several failed attempts to engage with the DBNLM regarding the lack of service delivery in Aberdeen.

Short-term commitments made by the DBNLM included, inter alia, that the municipality will send ten workers with a loader and a new tipper to clean up all areas in Aberdeen. To date, more than six months later, the ten workers have not arrived. According to the municipality, they have been waiting for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for these workers.

The DBNLM also undertook to convene regular meetings between the representatives of the municipality and the Aberdeen ratepayers. They also agreed that the area manager of the Aberdeen Municipality, Clive Kombani, will participate in these meetings.

Despite numerous e-mails sent by the Aberdeen ratepayers in this regard, the first of which was on 4 March, this commitment was also not fulfilled as per the expectation. The Aberdeen ratepayers already emphasised the fact that their intention is not to contest the municipality in any way but rather to promote cooperation between the community and the municipality to ensure that services are delivered properly. They were hopeful that the commitments made by the DBNLM were more than merely political play to buy time, and that these commitments will be carried out.

Unfortunately, it now appears as if their hope was in vain and that more drastic measures to ensure proper service delivery may become necessary.

At the request of a member of the Aberdeen ratepayers, Graaff-Reinet Advertiser submitted a request for comment, as well as a request for an indication of the estimated time when the commitments made will be fulfilled, to the DBNLM. Edwardine Abader, the acting media liaison officer for the DBNLM, initially committed to respond to the requests but subsequently stated that the DBNLM has no comment.

Graaff-Reinet Advertiser submitted a request for comment on the issues raised by the Hope Street residents, as well as a request for an indication of the estimated time when commitments made to these residents will be fulfilled.

A request for comment on the alleged misuse of municipal resources has also been submitted. The acting media liaison officer initially indicated that she would respond to the requests but when GraaffReinet Advertiser followed up on this undertaking she stated that the DBNLM has no further comment since the issues have already been reported on.

The DBNLM does not have regard for the fact that these requests were submitted in the interest of the members of the community who still need, and are legally entitled to, answers to their questions.