Municipality devoid of checks, balances
I REFER to your article “Litany of woes” In the Talk of the Town dated October 5.
It seems that, like every other government institution in this country, this municipality does not understand that a basic fundamental principle of management is about checks, balances and control. There do not seem to be any systems in place to manage finances, stock control and security, nor is there any monitoring and control of these systems.
Indeed, does this municipality even have a vision for this town? Is there a strategic plan with goals set to accomplish that vision? Is there any long-term, medium term and short-term planning in place?
I have just returned from the Western Cape. Every street in every town is beautifully paved, even the little side streets – and I mean properly paved, not just painted over with a thin layer of tar. Granted the tourist road to the pier has been paved with bricks, but what about the rest of the road going further to the main swimming beach at Kelly’s.
It is full of potholes, and in some places there is even no tar. Yet another year has passed and still nothing has been done before the tourists arrive in December.
Another thing you won’t see in WC towns is weeds growing everywhere out of the pavements like you see in Port Alfred. Municipal workers are seen working there, not laying about on the grass (lack of staff control).
Drains are clean and free of mud and weeds, not like you see in Campbell street where it is difficult to park one’s car because of the steep, uneven muddy water-filled pavement edges where the storm water drain is clogged with mud. And what about the unsightly damaged railings that have never been fixed near the robot?
Port Alfred has the potential to be the best tourist destination in the Eastern Cape but because of lack of vision and application of basic management principles, totally misses the boat. But what can be expected if the municipal councillors themselves can’t even manage their own lives and finances to pay their monthly rates and taxes, as reported recently in the TotT.
What this municipality needs is a workshop on developing a vision and a strategic plan in order to accomplish that vision. One of the first goals set should be the development of policies and control systems for each and every department, especially the financial and stores department.