Residents fume over Municipal Budget Meeting

- Linda Jaquet -

Heated arguments disrupted a public meeting hosted by the Municipal Council on the evening of 13 May at the Sydwell Williams Centre when Speaker Stoffel Botes informed the over 100 attendants that he would not allow any questions about the budget from the floor. According to Botes, residents could only submit verbal input on the budget for further consideration by him and the Council, provided their comments did not duplicate those already received in writing.

Most people in the packed hall were clearly disappointed since the written invitation to residents said that the meeting was to address issues of concern related to the proposed Municipal budget for 2009/2010. A summarised report on the draft budget by Executive Mayor Maria Benjamin and Deputy Mayor April Pienaar was followed by angry exchanges between the floor and the Chair.. Councillor Botes ruled local farmer, Willem Freysen, out of order during his heated interchange with the Executive Mayor on the provision of housing for farm workers. A call for calm by a number of residents meant that the meeting could then proceed.

Representations from the floor covered the increase in councillors’ salaries and allowances, the cost of upgrading of Municipal offices, overspending on legal fees, the budget allocations for roads and the upgrading of the storm water system, proposals for youth development, income from traffic fines and the Municipality’s social development responsibilities. There was concern that the public scrutiny of the draft budget process had not been advertised in the local media, whereupon Councillor Goliath of Leeu-Gamka criticised the Friend for its negative reporting on the Municipality.

Councillor Botes informed the meeting that until recently Prince Albert had been the only municipality where councillors had not received the upper limits of their salaries and allowances as determined by law. They also had not had a salary increase in three years. Botes pointed out that councillors’ remuneration was largely met by National Government, with less than 1% derived from the Municipality’s income from rates.

The Executive Mayor responded strongly to the written representations submitted to the Municipality. She was scathing of a number of suggestions, including demands for the Municipality to create jobs and alleviate poverty, provide animal welfare and deal with complaints about the Police. Replying to a call for the Council to take action against children begging in the streets, she pointedly asked former councillors present: “What did you ever do to improve people’s lives?”

Deputy Mayor, April Pienaar, described tourism as a priority area as far as job creation in the Prince Albert Municipal area was concerned. He said that the local tourism industry should be open to all and so contribute more to sustainable socio-economic upliftment.

In closing, Cllr Benjamin called on all residents to work together with the Municipality. She appealed for racism to be stamped out and urged for constructive ideas as well as criticism. “Our doors are always open,” she said.

Residents, who spoke to the Friend, felt they had been misled about the nature of the meeting. They were critical of the weak chairing and felt that if Cllr Botes had not put a stop to questions and had been firmer in dealing with the initial aggressive and at times, racist interaction between the floor and the Mayor, the tension and anger that pervaded most of the meeting could have been avoided.

A disillusioned resident commented “I’m convinced that the councillors were on the defensive and colluded in insisting on no questions at all. If they had been open and accountable they would have disarmed their severest critics.” Another said “The Mayor made valid points about the written submissions, but did she have to talk to us in such a rude and patronising way? We all want our local government to work and now we’re going to have to find ways of fixing the damage that has been done unnecessarily and working together.”

Minister: P A Municipality is Healthy

- Linda Jaquet -

During a visit to Prince Albert on 13 March, the Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Pierre Uys, said that he was satisfied with the Municipality’s achievements to date and with its implementation of major projects. He felt that the appointment of the new Municipal Manager could only strengthen the already healthy situation he found during his visit. At the same time, he praised the efforts of Dawid Rossouw, who has acted as Municipal Manager since March 2008.

Minister Uys’ visit drew attention to the Provincial Government’s commitment to upgrading and building infrastructure in the Central Karoo this year. The Province has allocated R13.3 million to infrastructure projects, such as building and upgrading of roads, storm water drains, pipe lines, waste water works and bulk water provision, in the region. Funding will be channelled through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).

The MEC inspected the upgrading of Prince Albert’s waste water treatment works, where the oxidation dams need relining. The project of R4.7 million is being undertaken after the old dam walls started cracking and water seeped into a nearby river. The upgrading and lining of the dams will prevent future percolation into the underground water.

Minister Uys pointed out that the Province’s financial support of projects like the upgrading of the dams not only primarily benefited poor households, but had many positive spin-offs. “It stimulates economic growth, job creation and ultimately, improves service delivery and contributes to a better quality of life for all our people,” Uys said. “For example, the Municipality’s upgrading of the dams directly benefits the lives of 5 221 people and 1 199 households.”

According to Dawid Rossouw, Minister Uys had noted that Prince Albert was one of only seven municipalities in the Province to have its Anti-Corruption Policy in place. Uys had also referred to water crises throughout the Western Cape and instructed the Council to move quickly to free up invested funds so as to relieve Klaarstroom’s water problem and construct a water pipeline from the Swartberg to Prince Albert.

While in Prince Albert, Minister Uys attended the official opening of the Sydwell Williams Sentrum by the Executive Mayor, Magdalena Benjamin.

New Municipal Manager

- Linda Jaquet -

Juanita Fortuin is Prince Albert’s new Municipal Manager. She is due to take up her position in the next two months. Ms Fortuin is currently a senior official in the Provincial Department of Local Government and Housing in Cape Town, where she is responsible for Governance and Integration. Her portfolio includes the areas of Integrated Development Planning and Intergovernmental Relations, as well as Municipal Support and Capacity Development.

Ms Fortuin will take over from Dawid Rossouw, who has been Acting Municipal Manager for over a year. Rossouw came out of retirement to fill the position following the resignation of Newton Wicomb in August 2007.

The Municipal Council has yet to appoint the Community Services Manager. We understand that the hung Council could not reach agreement on the recommended candidate and that the post is to be re-advertised. The Acting Community Services Manager, Edwin September, will apparently continue in the position until it is filled.

New Speaker: We have to create more jobs

- Linda Jaquet -

As I hurried into the waiting room of the Municipal building in the middle of October, I struggled to catch my breath while trying to formulate a correct approach to the conversation I was about to have with the new Speaker in the Prince Albert Town Council.

I needn’t have worried. Councillor Stoffel Botes reflected a quiet confidence and an openness to share and to learn; all welcome qualities given that he is a relative newcomer to local government politics and to an influential position in an environment where interaction is robust and fraught with conflict and where even-handedness and a cool head is needed.

Botes, who has been the Speaker in the Prince Albert Town Council since the middle of September, is a member of the Democratic Alliance and, with his wife Carina and their young daughter Belinda, lives in Klaarstroom. Councillor Botes’ recent appointment as Speaker is in accordance with the verbal agreement between the DA and the ANC in the Town Council whereby they share the Executive Mayor and Speaker positions for the duration of the Council’s term.

Throughout the interview, Botes referred to the need for councillors to represent and work for the community, which he stressed includes everyone and every town and settlement in the greater Prince Albert area, including the oft-forgotten farmers and farm workers. His interest in uplifting the lives of ordinary people, he said, had informed his work as a Community Development Worker (CDW) in Klaarstroom and led to his wanting to be part of decision-making and to his entry into local-government politics in 2004.

Councillor Botes was clearly concerned about the importance of job creation in the Municipal area if the Council is to address the needs of the poor and emphasised that the magical words “job creation” had to be sustainable and help people acquire real and marketable skills. How to do this, he admitted, would not be easy and in so doing, would also mean dealing with the difficult questions of development, progress and the conservation of Prince Albert as a unique, historical rural town. He felt that the tourism potential of the town needed to be expanded, there needed to be more investment in this area of the town’s economy and thus more job opportunities created. Again, he felt that the community’s views on these essential issues should guide decision-makers.

Botes compared his role of Speaker to that of a chairperson. While the necessary laws and rules were in place on conducting meetings, he was also very aware that he had to use his discretion and common sense to manage meetings. His bottom line was, he said, that decisions had to serve the community, which meant greater co-operation between the two political parties represented in the Council. However, he cautioned that this was not easy because of the Hung Council and tendencies for councillors to play political games. He was acutely aware that this meant delays in decisions being made and implemented and raised the ire of residents.

He felt that one way of overcoming the sticking points in Council would be for both parties to be fully represented in all of the Council’s standing committees, thereby reducing unnecessarily lengthy debate of the committees’ recommendations by Council members. He counted the committees’ roles as invaluable as, he said, their members not only represented the community’s and ordinary people’s interests and views but also had specialised skills and experience. He encouraged everyone to take an interest in Municipal affairs and urged people with ideas and potential projects to present them to the Municipality.

Long term, Councillor Botes foresaw that the town’s prospects would depend on its investment in its young people. He hoped for stability in local government with people with appropriate skills filling positions in the Municipality and a Council that was well-informed and energetic.

Nuwe Belastingwet op Eiendom Bekend Gestel

-Benita Freysen-

Op Donderdag, 4 September, het meneer Wellies Welgemoed van Akhile Konsultante die nuwe Belastingwet op Eiendom aan die gemeenskap van Prince Albert kom bekendstel.

Kennisgewings is vroegtydig per hand, in elke posbus en telefonies, aan die gemeenskap deurgegee om hierdie belang-rike vergadering by te woon. Die opkoms was egter uiters swak - belastingbetalers besef blykbaar nie hoe belangrik hierdie wet is nie. Dit raak elkeen wat ‘n eiendom besit en belasting aan die Munisipaliteit van Prince Albert betaal.

Die aanbieding was interessant en agtergrond oor die wet (en die toepassing daarvan) is deurgegee. Munisipaliteite se reg om belastings te hef, asook hul plig om dienste te lewer, is bespreek. Meneer Welgemoed het beklemtoon dat inkomste afkomstig van eiendomsbelasting ‘n kritieke bron van inkomste is.

Die belangrikste implikasie van die nuwe wet is dat eiendomsbelasting vanaf
1 Julie 2009 volgens markverwante waardasies bepaal sal word. “Mark-verwant“ beteken die prys wat ‘n vrywillige koper bereid sal wees om te betaal aan ‘n vrywillige verkoper van ‘n spesifieke eiendom.

Inligtingstukke is nog beskikbaar by die Tesourie-Afdeling van die Munisipaliteit, indien enigiemand sou belangstel.

NEW PROPERTY RATES ACT PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY

On Thursday, 4 September 2008, Mr Wellies Welgemoed of Akhile Consultants presented the new Property Rates Act (Act 4/2006) to the community of Prince Albert at a meeting in the VGK church hall. The Municipality informed the community well in advance of this important meeting by placing notices in every post box and through telephonic invitations. In spite of this, attendance was poor – clearly ratepayers do not realise the importance of this new Act, which affects everybody who owns property and pays rates to the Municipality of Prince Albert.

Mr Welgemoed’s presentation was informative and explained the background to the Act and its implementation. He also discussed the rights of municipalities to set and collect rates, as well as their duty to deliver efficient services. Mr Welgemoed emphasised that the proceeds derived from property rates represent a vital source of revenue for municipalities.

The most important change introduced by the new Act is that as of 1 July 2009, property rates will be determined by market-related evaluations. “Market-related” means the price that a willing buyer is prepared to pay a willing seller for a specific property.

Copies of the presentation are still available at the Treasury Department of the Municipality for those who are interested.

Municipality’s Drivers Shine

- André Jaquet -

Our village motto, ‘Proudly Prince Albert’ took on a special meaning earlier this month when the Municipality’s Attieen Arendse and Klaas Pieterse were awarded diplomas for excellent competency after taking part in the annual Western Cape Driver of the Year competition in Brackenfell.

Mark Februarie, the town’s Traffic Officer, did an outstanding job when he accompanied them in the capacity of team leader. “The success of our two colleagues is all the more remarkable since this was the first time in 30 years that we qualified for the competition and Attieen and Klaas were only given time for one trial run,” Mark told the Friend.

The event consisted of series of exhaustive practical and theoretical tests to assess the competency of strong participants from Beaufort West, Laingsburg and Prince Albert.

Candidates had to complete a number of tests against tough competition. These included correct procedures, the thorough physical examination of various vehicles, driving a range of vehicles from cars to articulated trucks through obstacle courses and on how to stop speeding cars safely, without injury to the occupants and to pedestrians.

When interviewed all three were clearly proud of their performance and said that they had been quite nervous, something like their first day at school but talked modestly about their achievement: “It was a real challenge, but we believe we must now plough back what we have learned into our community so that we all benefit.” they said.

Congratulations Mark, Attieen and Klaas!

Power to the People

The evening of Thursday, 17 July, was a memorable one for 21 families in Bergsig, a neighbourhood of Prince Albert unofficially known as “die blink hokke”. For the first time in the two years they have lived in their corrugated iron homes provided by the Municipality, the residents cooked their evening meals on an electric hotplate and ate by electric light.

The Acting Executive Mayor, Mrs Magdalena Benjamin, officially turned on the electric power to the homes as the sun was setting. The Municipality donated each household an electricity voucher valued at R20 and a hotplate. Mrs Benjamin encouraged the residents to use their new electrical power wisely and sparingly, while enjoying the advantages it brought to their lives.

MUNISIPALE NUUS - MUNICIPAL NEWS

Nuwe Personeel Aanstellings

Die volgende personeellede het in Mei 2008 diens aanvaar by Prins Albert Munisipaliteit:

Riool Afdeling:
Reginald Romp,
Apools Moos
Sanitasie Afdeling:
Bazil Tolken
Kantoor Skoonmaker:
Audrey van der Ross
Biblioteek Asst. Aflos / Skoonmaker: Jeanetta Jacobs

Vaardigheid by die Werksplek

Die Munisipaliteit van Prins Albert het vanaf 10 – 14 Maart 2008 Vaardigheidsontwikkeling (Skills Development) Opleiding te Beaufort-Wes bygewoon.

Personeel en Raadslede van Sentraal Karoo Distriksmunisipaliteit, Beaufort-Wes Munisipaliteit en Laingsburg Munisipaliteit het ook die opleiding voltooi.

Die Opleiding is aangebied deur die Firma Africa Competency Development en die Lektrise was Me. Carolyn Ryan van Kaapstad.

Prins Albert Munisipaliteit is verteenwoordig deur die Wnde. Burgemeester (Raadslid Magdalena Benjamin, twee Vakbonde, IMATU (Eslein Kammies) en SAMWU (Attieen Arendse en Merlyn Deelman) en die Sekretaresse (Mej Karin van der Mescht).

Mej van der Mescht tree tans op as Skills Development Facilitator vir die Munisipaliteit.

Die Noodsaaklikheid van opleiding vir die werkers is baie sterk beklemtoon tydens die Opleiding. Goed opgeleide en gekwalifiseerde werkers verbeter dienslewering by Organisasies en die Werknemer se produktiwiteit en selfbeeld word ook in die proses verbeter.

Werkgewers moet hul Werknemers motiveer om hulself te bemagtig deur opleiding om sodoende bevorderingsmoontlikhede in die werksplek te bewerkstellig.

Municipal bosses learn to be leaders at summer school

- Carol Campbell -

South Africa’s poor have to be favoured by local government when allocating resources and this has to be done responsibly and realistically. This was the message to emerge from the inter-provincial Governance Summer School held in Somerset West at the end of March.

Municipal managers and mayors from the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape spent a week undergoing intensive leadership training in an all out effort by the provincial leadership to upgrade skills at local government level. Prince Albert was not represented at the GSS.

Brian O’Connell, rector of the University of the Western Cape, told the 250 delegates that the time had come for South Africa’s leaders to be honest with the people they served by explaining the limitations of their budgets and the time it took to create infrastructure where there was none.

“What our government should have explained to the people was exactly what resources were available and how they would be distributed,” he said. Instead the majority of people expected much more than they were given and could not understand why their aspirations were left unmet.
O’Connell said it was fear of political unpopularity, especially in the Western Cape, that encouraged leaders to avoid the truth.

Harry Dugmore, from the South African Presidency’s Policy Co-ordination and Advisory Services, explained to the delegates that 45% of the country’s population still lived in “extreme poverty” surviving on less that R3000/year.

He placed the country in the international context explaining how the growth of China and India would impact on the economy in future years.
He also talked about the price of oil and explained why the country was experiencing a power crisis (apparently nobody took the strategic planners seriously!).

Iqbal Surve, CEO and Chairman of the Sekunjalo Investment Group, spoke on ethics and the importance of staying close to one’s “moral core” in every decision. “It’s not a sin to make money but it is important to do it in an honourable way,” he said.

On the final night of the GSS, Western Cape premier, Ebrahim Rasool, was interviewed on stage by E-TV news reporter Lukhanyo Calato.

His talk drove home the message that it was “an enormous honour” to be a leader in South Africa and that it was a role that should be conducted with discretion and grace.

Municipality Facilitates Angora Goat Project

-Linda Jaquet-

April 1st, 2008, was a memorable day for four, new Prince Albert Angora goat farmers. And not because an April Fool’s Day joke was played on them.

On the contrary, with the arrival of 180 Angora goats – 174 ewes and 6 rams – from Aberdeen, it marked their first day of a project, during which they will be “students” learning on the job, all that they need to know about working with Angora goats.
The project (sponsored by Mohair South Africa) is an initiative of the Mohair industry through the Prince Albert Municipality. Treintjiesrivier, the farm on the outskirts of town, was bought by the Department of Land Affairs for the Municipality about two years ago with the purpose of developing and empowering emerging small farmers.

Jan Lottering, Piet Loff, Andrew Mopiley and Adriaan Moos, all have some experience of farming and were carefully selected to be part of the project. Gielie Grobbelaar, former Chair of Mohair SA and the International Mohair Association, is responsible for the co-ordination and supervision of the project. He, through SA Mohair International Ltd (SAMIL), have initiated and conducted similar projects in the Eastern Cape.

Clive van Hasselt, one of South Africa’s most successful Angora breeders, will engage and assist wherever necessary. The student farmers will not be paid for the duration of the project and have made arrangements with their current employers to take time off each month to work at Treintjiesrivier. At the end of the two year period, they will have an option to farm on their own. The original stock and numbers will remain that of the project, while the mohair and the progeny will be for the student farmers’ account.

Interviewed by the Friend on 2 April as they dipped and dosed their new herd of young goats, the farmers’ pride and determination to succeed was evident.

Jan Lottering, who chairs the project, said that giving up part of his salary every month to be part of this project was well worth it. “It’s an opportunity that we’ve all grabbed with both hands,” he said.

Piet Loff added: “We all have the self-belief and resolve to go a long way. Getting on with the work is up to us.” Clive van Hasselt has confidence in the project and the four aspiring Angora goat farmers. “I feel that the opportunity, both in this project and in the Mohair industry, is very worthwhile and rewarding,” he said.

A Man(ager) with a Mission

- Linda Jaquet -

Dawid Rossouw, who served as Mayor of Prince Albert for 11 years until the local government elections in 2006, has been appointed the town’s Acting Municipal Manager until the end of April.

The Friend interviewed him less than two weeks after he received an unexpected telephone call at the beginning of March, telling him that the Council had decided that they needed him to fill the position. For a man, who has been in retirement for the last two years, Dawid Rossouw looked quietly confident and at home in his office.

“The Council has mandated me to drive the process of appointing the new Municipal Manager and I am confident that this will be finalised by the end of March. Hopefully, the successful applicant can start work at the beginning of May.” he said. Prince Albert has been without a Municipal Manager for over a year. Rossouw explained: “As we speak, the consultant appointed by the Council is screening all applications and will draw up a shortlist of the most suitable candidates for interviewing. Recommendations will then be made to the Council, which will make its decision.”

Rossouw is also determined to resolve a number of issues that have been lying unattended to for several months. Some require the Council’s consideration, while others are decisions and policies that have simply been gathering dust in various pigeonholes in the Municipality and need to be implemented. These include approval of the appointment of an engineer to manage infrastructural projects for the next three years.

The Council also needs to reach urgent agreement with the Kweekvallei Irrigation Board on the laying of a pipeline to replace the furrow bringing water to the town, while the question of where the Sentech communications tower should be erected also has to be resolved. Sentech technology will enable the community of Prince Albert to access more SABC TV and radio channels. Rossouw also indicated that he was tackling the surveying and selling of plots in the industrial area in a transparent manner and wants the Council to look seriously at a proposal to reduce the use of electrical power by the town.

Rossouw clearly revels in the challenges of his position. He finds the work load heavier than when he was last in government and the expectations of service delivery a lot higher. He is working long hours and has hardly seen his wife, Jean, since his appointment. However, he says that he she knows that he can make a difference and he has her full support.

What does he regard as his most important achievement during his long tenure as Mayor? Rossouw pointed to his battle to ensure that Prince Albert remained a local municipality in its own right rather than being absorbed into Beaufort West. The deciding factor in Prince Albert’s favour, he said, was that the town’s finances were sound and sustainable. Laughing, he recalled a resident shaking his hand and commenting: “Jy is ‘n bul van ‘n man!”

“We were vindicated,” he says. “Prince Albert and Laingsburg are the only two Karoo municipalities that have shown economic growth in recent years. This is vital for service delivery and also explains why we attract newcomers who love the town as much as those who have lived here all their lives. They see the possibilities and bring with them their expertise and their skills.”

Rossouw felt that while residents were justified in getting irritated with some of the Municipality’s shortcomings, the appointment of a new Municipal Manager provided both the community and the Council with the ideal opportunity to develop a good relationship. When asked what message he would like to give residents, he said “Please offer your advice to the new Manager, share your knowledge and your passion for our town. After all, it is your town.”

Settlement reached with Suspended Municipal Manager

- Linda Jaquet -

The Speaker of the Prince Albert Municipal Council, Mr April Pienaar, confirmed to the Friend that the Council had reached an out of court settlement with the suspended Municipal Manager, Mr N M Wicomb, on 29 August 2007. Mr Wicomb’s employment contract with the Municipality was ended and he was paid out his monthly salary until the end of December this year.

According to Mr Pienaar, the Council believed that the settlement prevented any further delay in what was becoming a drawn-out and costly disciplinary procedure.

Mr Wicomb was suspended earlier this year on full benefits and charged with lack of service delivery and the non-implementation of over 40 decisions by the incumbent Municipal Council.

Mr Wicomb’s disciplinary hearing was postponed on more than one occasion, at the request of both his and the Municipality’s legal representatives, respectively.

Mr Pienaar said that the Council planned to advertise the vacant Municipal Manager’s position and to fill it by 1 January 2008.

Municipal Manager, Hospital Secretary Suspended

- Linda Jaquet -

In January 2007, Prince Albert’s Municipal Manager, Mr N M Wicomb, was suspended from his post pending a disciplinary hearing. At the time of writing, neither the charges against Mr Wicomb nor the date for his hearing had been finalised. Mr E September, the town’s Community Manager, has been appointed Acting Municipal Manager until further notice.

A member of the Board of the Prince Albert Hospital confirmed that the Hospital’s Secretary, ds. C Afrika, had been suspended awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing. Ms H Botha, the Hospital’s financial officer, has been appointed Acting Secretary. No further details were available at the time of writing. Both officials have been suspended with full benefits.