FROM THE COUNCILLOR’S DESK
L esson No. 1 for compiling a meeting agenda: if you are going to withdraw an item, do so before distributing the agenda.
If uMngeni had taken this lesson to heart, DA councillors would still be none the wiser regarding an unscheduled visit by the sheriff in August. The voluminous papers that came with the council agenda painted a stark picture but this item was withdrawn as it was deemed “not urgent”.
It turns out that the municipality owed R4,8 million to Gonal Construction for work done at the Mandela Capture Site about two years ago.
As the settlement arrangements had not been complied with, the sheriff came to town in August and made a list of assets that could be sold to pay at least part of the debt. And what a list it turned out to be! Ten municipal vehicles, 144 office chairs, filing cabinets, desks, board room tables, 21 computers, three fridges, one microwave and a TV. Last on the list were two flower arrangements.
It was all action stations when a month after the attachment, Gonal’s attorneys advised the municipality that they were instructing the sheriff to set a sale date. The proposed solution was to short-pay Eskom by R5 million but the item was withdrawn before it could be discussed. I believe that any arrangement to settle a debt by short-paying Eskom is the first step on the slippery slide downhill to join the other municipalities who cannot pay for the electricity they use. This is irresponsible and sets a precedent of nonpayment of the Eskom account whenever the municipality is financially constrained, which in turn puts residents and ratepayers who are paying for electricity at risk of being disconnected through no fault of their own. In the end, it appeared that somehow the debt was paid. There was another little gem in the papers that we know nothing about – the MEC of CoGTA is in the process of instituting an investigation in terms of Systems Act Section 106, to deal with nonperformance and maladministration. We are expecting to get more detail shortly and will keep residents updated.