MOOI-UMNGENI TODAY Online Edition 4/2020

Covering: Mooi River, Bruntville, Rosetta, Nottingham Road, Lidgetton, Balgowan, Currys Post, Howick, Karkloof, Mpophomeni, Merrivale, Hilton, Cedara, Impendle

POTHOLES

Infrastructure in our local municipalities is crumbling. Years of underinvestment and lack of maintenance has left hundreds of kilometres of roads in disrepair. Despite residents diligently paying their rates and taxes, our roads have become a daily hazard that place lives at risk.

The Democratic Alliance is pressuring your local municipality and the Provincial government to step up and take the necessary action required to fix our roads. Wasteful expenditure and bloated staff budgets can be reprioritised to replace and maintain basic infrastructure.

IN THIS EDITION

A MESSAGE SAFETY OUR COVID-19 FROM THE MPOFANA APPLY TO BE A MATTERS CONTRIBUTIONS UMNGENI UPDATE COUNCILLOR CAUCUS Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 7 Page 12

Page 1

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Police brutality in the spotlight

The DA’s fight for safer rural communities (IPID). The DA has exposed this brutality and has been at the forefront of our agenda in will continue challenging the authoritarian the 6th Parliament. creep of the ANC’s incapable state. Now more than ever we need to stand up for and Last year the DA launched our Rural Safety protect our constitutional democracy. The Plan which makes the case for a more ANC’s authoritarian alternative is not an community based policing. The plan option. recognises the limitations of the state in the critically under resourced and inadequately trained South African Police Service (SAPS) and it enables rural communities to play a more intimate role in their own safety and that of their communities. The frequency and violent nature of farm attacks and murders as well as other rural crimes is a cause for great concern and deserves more attention from SAPS and government in general.

During the lockdown the DA was shocked to hear that Neighbourhood Watches and CPFs would be prevented from operating. I immediately wrote to the Minister of Police requesting a rethink of this decision especially insofar as rural community safety structures are concerned. After a long battle, I am pleased to announce that SAPS has, last we e k , l i f t e d t h e b a n o n C P F s a n d Andrew Whitfield MP N e i g h b o u r h o o d Wa t c h e s t o p a t ro l . DA Spokesperson on Police Lockdown has brought with it some strange and irrational decisions from government, but it has also exposed the incapable state under WATCH THIS ONLINE the leadership of the ANC. DA Leader John Steenhuisen What is most concerning, however, is that address the issue of safety in lockdown has exposed the violent nature of rural and farming communities. the state through the excessive use of force by our law enforcement agencies. Police https://www.facebook.com/ brutality is over 30% up from the same DemocraticAlliance/videos/ period in 2019 and there have been more 643030593094274/ than 50 complaints relating to deaths at the hands of the police referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate

SAVING LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS

Page 2 OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GENEROUS DONATIONS - R25 000 - Through your generous - contributions the Democratic Alliance in - Mpofana, uMngeni and - Impendle has managed to raise R18 500 towards - assisting vulnerable - R18 500 communities. We have also received thousands - of Rands of in-kind - donations. - THANK YOU - - - - Picture (left & above): Volunteers knit and donate - beanies and masks to our communities - - -

Picture (left): working with local NGOs to distribute food relief

PLEASE WEAR A FACE MASK IN PUBLIC

FOR MORE FAQs PLEASE VISIT: https://www.da.org.za/defeatingcoronavirus

Page 3 WHY ACTIVISM WILL SAVE YOUR COMMUNITY

“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.

The respected cultural anthropologist how the balance will be tipped, and how we will Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that get the 8% more needed to win uMngeni. a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only So please become a volunteer, and be the change thing that ever has”. you want to see in uMngeni. There is so much to do, and so many ways to help. You can take Her rejoinder has proved resoundingly true over responsibility to be the go-to person on your the years. As human rights have advanced over street, help in our outreach program, support our the centuries, volunteers serving a cause greater street "blue waves", assist in fundraising, and than themselves have been at the forefront of many more. It's entirely up to you. Just contact civil rights movements, fighting slavery, your local councillor or find us on Facebook promoting equality before the law, and building @DAUmngeni social and charitable institutions, to name only a few. See you soon!

In our own community and time, just think of the many NGO's and legions of individuals who are volunteering by supporting health care initiatives, sewing masks, or organizing food parcels. Change in uMngeni is no different. Our public representatives will do all they can to bring about a new local council that will deliver quality services for rates levied, but ultimately it will volunteers that will tip the balance.

Why is this? In the last local elections, uMngeni had one of the highest registration as well as turnout rates in the entire country, around 85% in both cases. Notwithstanding this, that still means that close Greg Krumbock MP to one in eight of potential DA supporters were Mooi-uMngeni Constituency Head not registered to vote, and around the same DA Member of Parliament number were registered but did not vote, despite every attempt of our public representatives to encourage them to do so. This is slightly more https://www.facebook.com/ than the current ANC majority on the uMngeni daumngeni/ council!

Every one of these unregistered or non-voting residents has family, friends or neighbours, 082 323 1191 sometimes all three. This is where volunteers come in. With volunteers in every suburb and every street, we can ensure that every person we need to engage to register and vote is visited by [email protected] someone they know and trust to do so. This is

VOLUNTEER TODAY

Page 4 A MESSAGE FROM THE UMNGENI CAUCUS

There is nothing like a disaster to highlight the competence, or lack thereof, of a government. This has certainly been the case in uMngeni where the lockdown and uMngeni’s response to it, or lack thereof, has highlighted a competency gross deficit in the office of the Municipal Manager.

An example of this incompetence is that the uMngeni 2020/2021 Draft Budget which should have been available for public comment from the 31st of March, was only made available at the end of May, 2 months late and leaving little time for meaningful public comment.

The DA in uMngeni has gone through the draft budget and will be making the following submissions amongst others.

• The proposed rates increase of 4.4% from 1.58c/R to 1.65c/R and Cllr Janis Holmes proposed refuse removal increase of 4.5% must be deferred for at DA uMngeni Caucus Leader least a year at which point the municipality must reassess the affordability of any future increases given the economic legacy of Covid-19.

• The proposed electricity increase of 6.22% is in line with the NERSA approved increases. The DA will be asking that uMngeni look into the use of independent power suppliers going forward to reduce reliance on ESKOM, reduce tariffs and lessen the effects of national load shedding on our local economy.

• We feel that the budgeted allocation for employee related costs is far too high and continues the trend of wage increases exceeding consumer inflation. Whilst most uMngeni residents are tightening their belts and going without, uMngeni municipal employees will be receiving a 6.25% increase in July and a 13th cheque! The DA will be asking that uMngeni apply for exemption from bargaining council increases and for NO INCREASES to be applied in the upcoming year and for NO 13th cheques for all employees. Clause 11 of the bargaining council agreement allows for this in the case of the municipality not having the capacity to afford the terms of the agreement if it is having cash-flow problems and unexpected economic hardship. We have already voted against a councillor increase of 4% and cost of living senior management increases, the ANC majority unfortunately won those votes. It is entirely unfair for local government employees to reap continued benefits when the community they serve has lost income and suffering economic hardship due to “stay at home” directives from the national government.

• We will also be opposing the use of R4 million to purchase land for housing in the Karkloof. If there will indeed be “strict adherence to the principle of no project plan, no budget” then this vanity project of the Mayor’s must be stopped. Council has not yet seen a plan or needs assessment for housing in the Karkloof and cannot support the purchasing of land for the benefit of the Mayor’s extended family when housing projects in other parts of the municipality, which have plans and approved beneficiary lists, have stalled.

• We will suggest that the budget for road repair is doubled. The proposed R7.9 million budgeted for road repairs is insufficient given the backlog of repairs and dangerous condition of our roads. We are concerned that at a time when austerity should be exercised that the proposed budget for municipal furniture and office equipment is R7.2 million, only slightly less than the roads repair budget! ONLY 9% MORE TO WIN UMNGENI

Page 5 A MESSAGE FROM THE UMNGENI CAUCUS MPOFANA UPDATE

• The provision for debt impairment is far too low. It has come down from over R16,8million to R774 thousand which is very low given the R176 million debtors book and which may lead to a cash flow crisis if a large percentage of the debt is not collected, this possibility is increased by the economic challenges faced by most households due to Covid -19.

• Contracted services (R77,828 million) and other expenditure (R62,343 million) make up 31% of total operating expenditure. We will be asking for a comprehensive breakdown of these costs so that we can see where possible savings can be made. Where possible we must use internal staff more, ensure they trained and supervised and stop outsourcing and overpaying for work that our own staff can and should be doing. We must ensure that any “scrapping” of contracts is done with proper consultation and oversight so that we don’t have a repeat of the disastrous decision taken by our municipal manager two years ago when agreements with the local SPCA and fire prevention agency were scrapped without councils knowledge or condonation.

We will definitely be objecting to the final budget if the submissions we make are not considered and included. The uMngeni budget has for years simply been a copy and paste of previous years with tariff increases seemingly applied just to cover overinflated staff increases. The DA managed to get a Council resolution passed in the previous term that stipulated that Council must hold annual budget workshops so that the budget actually speaks to the needs of our residents and economy. After many years this workshop has never taken place and uMngeni’s budget continues to lack vision for both the short and long term. Promises made in the Mayors foreword are repeated annually but never come to pass or simply fall off the radar.

Whatever happened to the R25 million Howick CBD upgrade? When will informal trader’s stalls be replaced? Will the weighbridge at our landfill site ever become operational? When will our taxi ranks be upgraded? uMngeni, like the rest of , is reeling from the effects of an extended lockdown. Many of our residents have lost income, jobs and even their businesses. uMngeni must be sensitive to the hardships that her residents are suffering and place a moratorium on staff and property increases for at least a year. Our only focus at the moment should be reducing waste and unnecessary expenses and maintaining and improving service delivery. Productivity of all departments must be closely monitored and those departments that fall short must account or face consequences.

Percentage of Year Wage bill operating revenue 2017/2018 R114.5 million 26.7% 2018/2019 R112.7million 28.2% 2019/2020 R120.9million 28.8% 2020/2021 R134.3 million 30% Table 1: increase in municipal wage bill

ONLY 9% MORE TO WIN UMNGENI

Page 6 MPOFANA UPDATE

The deteriorating state of Provincial roads in Mpofana is placing lives at risk and is negatively impacting the local economy. We have taken this up with the Minister of Transport and will update residents on the progress.

MPOFANA DESERVESPage 5 BETTER

Page 7 MPOFANA UPDATE

ukukhwabanisa kanye nenkohlakalo okwakwenziwe ngumphathi kamasipala kanye nekomidi elinikezela amathenda. Lombiko wakuveza ngokusobala ukuthi izinsolo ezazenziwe yiDA ne IFP zabe ziyiqiniso. Lo mbiko wenza izincomo okwakumele zilandelwe ukulungisa lokho okwakonakele noukuthathela ababathinteka izinyathelo zokuqondisa izigwegwe kanye okubandakanya nokuvulelwa amacala enkohlakalo. Amakhansela avumelana nalombiko athatha isinqumo sokuthi izincomo zombiko azilandelwe njengoba zinjalo. Izithunywa zikangqongqoshe CllrNhlalayenza Ndlovu obhekelele kusebenza komasipala(cogta) DA Mpofana Councillor zehluleka zancama ukuthathela labo abathinteka kulombiko izinyathelo. Mpofana Municipality has been operating with acting managers for years due to the After three years without municipal manager political interference. It must be remembered on the 7 April 2020 the council appointed that the municipality is still under Mr. Hlula Dladla as municipal manager after administration (section 139(b)) of the acting in the position as from the 10 October construction since the end of 2018. No one 2019. Since his arrival things were getting can remember if Mpofana is ever obtained a better till the Corona virus came in place. On clean audit option from Auditor general the 9 June we were told that the before. The only audit opinion Mpofana is municipality can only sustain itself for only at is disclaimer which is worst Audit one month. Before the Corona we were opinion. Just imagine getting such in the hoping to get out of administration soon. presence of the administrator. Administrators are sent to municipalities to turn around the Eskom dept is still increasing due to the fact situation, in our case they failed dismally. that municipality is only paying 50% of the current debt and a portion of the old debt. N g o N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 8 k w a t h u l e l w a amakhansela umbiko wophenyo olwenziwa eMpofana ngezinsolo zokungenzi kahle,

SING OUR ROADS PETITION NOW! https://bit.ly/MpofanaRoads

MPOFANA DESERVES BETTER

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UMLANDO

We have added a new feature to our news letter called UMLANDO which means HISTORY in isiZulu. It is dedicated to sharing the history of the Democratic Alliance and the people who have grown the organisation over the years. ROBIN HOLMES

I have pondered the birth and development of thought within each of us that sets us apart as democrats. In my case it wasn't inherited from my forefathers and their descendants who first set foot in Africa in 1680. It certainly wasn't from the education I received at Clifton and then Hilton.

However, in my memory an inkling of compassion and a sense of fairness began on a cold windy winter's night in 1952 when I saw a few half-naked Khoi-San in their encampment on the foreshore in as part of the Van Riebeeck Festival.

Maybe it was that drizzly late afternoon in May 1953 when I saw men pressed hard against the wall of the Wynberg magistrates court trying to stay dry, and when I asked what they were doing my father said that they had come "to see if they could vote one last time". This image haunted me and probably more so when in later years reading of the removal of the the so-called Coloureds from the voter's roll. Maybe it was when I saw a man who lived on our property being arrested and taken away by the police. His crime was that he had walked from Nyasaland and was an alien. I think it true to say that I developed an aversion to anything that seemed unreasonable and unjust.

I was certainly on the road to activism when in 1960 I cycled around Hilton Road, as it was then named, taking down "Yes" campaign posters for the referendum. I felt as though I was endangered by the aggressive nature of the anti English campaign. My thoughts were hardened when I was at the Army Gymnasium in 1964. The closest I probably ever got to Mandela was the day my company armed to the teeth sat all day in a Bedford truck waiting for a riot following the Treason Trial verdict. What a waste of a day fuelled by paranoia.

During December 1964 the Security/Special Branch of the police ensured that I became vehemently opposed to any form of thought control by warning me not to coach "natives" in athletics because if "the government had wanted this they would have made provision for it". As a student in 1965 I was involved in the elections for the Progressive Party and was on the committee that hosted the first Young Progs national congress. We had the audacity to hold it in the ballroom of the Imperial Hotel, which was across the road from SB offices. Thrown out after first day had to address us from under a tree in Gerald Walker's garden, Wembley.

FREEDOM. FAIRNESS. OPPORTUNITY. DIVERSITY Page 9

UMLANDO UMLANDO

This was also the year of UDI and the shock and horror of finding people who had left the Party because of the principled stand Suzman had taken against tobacconist Smith.

Doing articles, accountancy, I couldn't believe how verkrampt the profession was. Nice people who thought progressive, voted UP but thanked God the Nats in power. For a brief moment I worked for Noorgat Wholesalers which I know raised eyebrows at the old Victoria Club, because a white boy was working for an Indian.

As an athlete in 1969, I felt compelled to object to the Olympic Rings being used on the SA Games flag. I had mentioned in conversation with fellow athletes that it was a travesty and that the flag should be taken down. When the Games were held at the Free State Stadium l did think it odd that a company of parabats sat in a square formation around the main flagpole and that a section ( about 6 troops) sat at each of the flagpoles all the way around the venue.

I tried in vain to launch the Athletes for Athletes committee, where our stated aim was no international competition until each athlete Robin flighting posters had equal and unimpaired opportunity to train and not just during elections compete. Not easy when most competitors were from the police and armed forces and other right wing groups.

I often travelled to Cape Town and would spend some time in the public gallery in parliament. I found it a tad boring but two occasions come to mind. One was when Suzman was giving one of the ministers blazers and he begged her to stop by promising to re-read some draft piece of legislation. The other was when Vorster was in full cry about NUSAS leaders such as Paula Ensor and Barbara Hogan et al. I told him that he was talking rubbish.

Early 1970's in East London I started a branch of the Young Progs to which I attracted members from all neighbourhoods. I was proud to have made inroads into "working class" communities, which at that time was a foreign concept to the Progs.

Holding down the dual responsibilities as Cost Accountant and Personnel Manager at King Tanning was a real eye opener to the coal face of politics not seen by us Progs. The factory was riddled with informers for the police who couldn't understand nor countenance how I was able to have such an extraordinary relationship with the unions. All I did was treat them fairly and at arm's length. Apparently this had never been tried before.

The persuasive power that a section of the police had at that time was immense. Through phone tapping and mail interception their interference covered both landlords and prospective employers.

FREEDOM. FAIRNESS. OPPORTUNITY. DIVERSITY Page 10

UMLANDO

In 1976 I printed T-shirts all of which were banned including of course the Biko image. This did cause a rapid escalation of harassment. The TRC did grant amnesty for this.

In 1980 I was the surveyor on the Fercliffe to Umlaas Road pipeline. It was an enjoyable time especially knowing that the police were perturbed that I was privy to so much information especially about coax cable routes, which in those days were the communication lifeline between Duran and the interior.

In 1984 I started installing solar electric power in areas not serviced by eskom. In 1987 I presented a paper at the ISES congress in Hamburg, Germany, detailing how to get the recipients of solar power to pay for the installation. Passport restrictions at that time prevented me from accepting invitations to speak in Japan and Egypt amongst other venues. The modus operandi that I used at that time is now widely used with great success.

In 1988 I started growing Clivias and not being either a botanist or horticulturalist I did not know the apparent problem propagating the "yellow" variety, but I went ahead anyway and succeeded. In 1998 I advertised for the first time and during the next decade sold thousands of yellows.

I have been involved with the Democratic Alliance in Howick for a long wee while and it has been gratifying to observe that our councillors take on issues and stay with them. The next few years are really going to be an introduction to the brave new world where those believing in democracy will have to face the onslaught of the viciousness of totalitarianism and the rebirth of baaskap.

It will be fun if we let it.

FREEDOM. FAIRNESS. OPPORTUNITY. DIVERSITY Page 11 APPLY TO BE A COUNCILLOR

Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to make a difference in your town? Can you contribute to shaping the future?

You can apply to be a Democratic Alliance candidate in the 2021 local government elections. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HOW DO I APPLY TO BE A DA CANDIDATE? You can apply online by visiting https://apply.voteda.org

IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE? Yes there is a small application fee. However, the DA will not discriminate against those who cannot pay the fee and we will arrange for the fee to be waived.

IS A COUNCILLOR A FULL TIME JOB? No. A local government councillor is a part time position that allows you to continue to work or run your business.

WHAT DOES A COUNCILLOR DO? A councillor is elected to represent his/her community in a municipal council. DA councillors also serve their communities and help to pressure local authorities to deliver services where there are challenges. DA councillors are very active in community structures such as ratepayers associations and CPFs and often work closely with local NGOs.

HOW LONG IS A COUNCILLORS TERM? A councillor is elected for 5 years. If a councillor resigns, passes away or is fired during the course of a 5 year term a by election is called and the community elects a new councillor.

For more information you can contact: Greg Krumbock (083 655 6628) or Chris Pappas (081 017 6622)

FREEDOM. FAIRNESS. OPPORTUNITY. DIVERSITY

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