Gallery
GEORGE NEWS - Deteriorating financial audit outcomes and the ugly face of illegal dumping were the focal points of Mayor Melvin Naik's address to Council last week.
"Never again will it happen that this municipality receive a negative audit outcome," said Naik.
He said the municipality has over the past two years experienced deteriorating financial audit outcomes and has regressed from a clean audit report, to an unqualified with no findings, to a qualified opinion with findings. "This finding must be addressed and turned around as it holds the potential to stifle possible economic investment and growth."
He called on Council to ensure that the confidence of possible investors, current businesses and citizens are restored. "We should ensure that we implement adequate compliance monitoring controls to improve our audit finding, thus ensuring good governance," said Naik.
Naik said illegal dumping has become a common sight and is negatively impacting the view of citizens and visitors alike. "We have to make a concerted effort to improve cooperation and especially collective responsibility with improved law enforcement to address this challenge," he said.
In reply to the mayoral address, opposition parties commented on these matters and other concerns.
ANC's Langa Langa pointed out that commitment should be followed by action. He said the attitude of some officials are worrisome. "Those who are found to have failed in executing their duties need to be taken to account," he said. "It is really time to crack the whip." In addition, he compared some communities to pigsties. "People just go and dump in any space they see."
Virgill Gericke of the PBI said it is rather unfair to expect Council to comment on the Auditor General's report which they have not been privy to. He said they do not know what the AG has pointed out and therefore can't give oversight on this matter.
Icosa Councillor Wilbur Harris said the mayor asks Council to work as a collective, but swipes councillors' ideas and input off the table. He asked Naik to address the problems in Uniondale and Haarlem and to give attention to their shortage of available firefighters. Harris said the mayor should lead the way regarding the matter of illegal dumping, and personally visit the neighbourhoods where this poses a big problem.
Municipal Manager Trevor Botha said the response time for fire services in Uniondale is within three minutes. "The staff shortages in terms of fire services is being addressed on an ongoing basis as funds are available to fill vacant positions," said Botha. He said the funds for the War on Waste project dried up, but new recommendations are in place to try and alleviate dumping in different wards.
Councillor Johan du Toit of the ACDP thanked the mayor for the attention given to the Auditor General's report and for the mention of 124 municipal posts that have been filled. He asked that more attention will be given to current vacancies in the civils and electrical departments. He expressed his concern over the town's deteriorating infrastructure and long-term planning for water and electricity.
AIC Councillor Khumbulelo Mkhondo (Bra Joe) asked that the preposition "them" be replaced by "us", referring to service delivery. He also made mention that religion and governance is like oil and water. "You can't mix religion and politics - they don't mix." He was again slapped on the fingers by Speaker Gerrit Pretorius for using an "inappropriate word" in his reply. Mkhondo said these words are used in the corridors, "but when it is used by Joe public, you become so sceptic." He had councillors in stitches with his remarks.
FF Plus Councillor Gert van Niekerk emphasised the dire need for job creation and said unemployment causes all that is evil. He said projects worth millions of rand which will create numerous job opportunities are being kept on ice by red tape.
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
