Over on Group Sex for Amoebas (FB) our hard working, well turned out, immaculately presented Executive Mayor announced that she will soon be wafting through the townships, flicking back her new hairdo and exiting her non-local ratepayer paid for vehicle in a waft of expensive perfume in order to count all the backyard dwellers.
These walking votes will then be placed on a list – yes, like that list you want to be on at the entrance of a fancy club – to ‘potentially’ receive a proper house.
Now Dear Babalwa must be getting slightly ahead of herself as she contemplates the municipalities staggeringly large contribution of 5 000 houses since the rise of her revolutionary party in this Metro.
How many private homes have been built in this metro since 1994? I believe that there are hundreds of plans submitted for approval by private citizens every week. Lets say that just 10 of those per week are for NEW HOME BUILDS and then do the math:
1612 weeks since we were freed times by 10 new private homes per month EQUALS 16 120 new ratepayers. And, in my book 16 120 is definitely more than 5 000!
Anyway, Madam Mayor is, like every time she attends the opening of an envelope, allowing her lazy sycophants to drive her luxury vehicle into the wall.
- Merely collecting names on a list will not give people hope or dignity.
- Merely collecting names on a list will not increase the ratepayer base (and REVENUE).
- Merely collecting names on a list will not help stop fires in housing units cheek by jowl.
- Merely collecting names on a list will not show our people that we care.
- Merely collecting names on a list will not make government’s task easier when government cannot fulfill those #LGE2026 promises.
Madam Mayor – you would do better by combining the VOTE GATHERING exercise with a bit of a hard arsed wake up call to the owners of these erven.
WHAT?
Simple – our municipality has a by law that says any home in Nelson Mandela Bay that has TWO habitable units on it must register it as such. In that way the Municipality collects increased rates for the increased pressure on services we do not think about such as sewage etc.
And, whilst you are there why don’t you check the buildings for proper plans and adherence to building regulations?
Do the Math Dear Mayor – if you can collect additional rates on the thousands of square meters under roof that are not being paid for OR just get each backyard shack into the rates equation then you will finally be on your path to that famous rallying cry; “Prosperity for All”!
