Dear Members,
The forensic report into corruption within Bitou, submitted to MEC Bredell early in 2019, has been referred to Bitou Councillors for comment. They cannot give a response, however, because the Speaker refuses to distribute it beyond the Mayoral Committee (Mayco).
Why? We don’t know, but we can guess. What we do know is that the inner circle sees it as hot enough to justify briefing not one, but two, firms of lawyers in an effort to frame a suitable response. We have yet to learn who will carry the legal costs, but the expenditure is certainly not being authorised by Council.
This Association has called for the report repeatedly, both through statutory and political structures, and by correspondence, but we have been fobbed off. In addition, we have given MEC Bredell the email addresses of each Councillor and suggested he make the distribution personally, but he does nothing. Finally, we should tell you that Councillor Swart, one of the DA members of Council, has twice demanded the report, but has not received any satisfaction.
(See https://www.facebook.com/100680686778199/posts/1342425315937057/)
We would like the answer to a few simple questions:
1 Why is Mayco refusing to give the Councillors the report that MEC Bredell says they should be getting?
2 Why is MEC Bredell himself refusing to circulate the report when it is so easy for him to do so?
3 Why, outside Cllr Swart, are none of the deprived Councillors protesting at the way they are being kept in the dark?
4 Why does Bredell refuse to give the report, even in confidence, to us, your Plett Residents Association?
But whether we get it or not, never fear. We are busy compiling a report of our own that we will be submitting to MEC Bredell. In it we will outline matters that deserve investigation. It will be based on material we have gathered from the community.
PLEASE HELP US BY REPORTING INSTANCES OF CORRUPTION KNOWN TO YOU.
THERE IS NO NEED TO GO ON RECORD IF YOUR PREFER NOT TO.
Contact details to provide information:
Email to info@plettratepayers.co.za
Mail to PO Box 162 Plett
Helpline 079 259 9320
Kind regards,
Peter Gaylard
Vice Chairman
cc: Premier Winde
MEC Bredell
