Dear Members,
Service delivery in SA at a glance – OPINION | Politicsweb
You will, I imagine, have seen reports on initiatives by residents of failed municipalities to privatize service delivery. You may have wondered how the PBRRA reacts to these developments, like the one above.
The PBRRA believes it is wrong to expect ratepayers to finance the provision of services privately and still pay rates for the purpose. We also believe it is wrong to divert rates to cover the cost of the privatized services; democratic governance is undermined by such desperate expedients, the law is broken, and individuals run the risk that their electricity will be terminated.
In Plett services are still being supplied on a roughly acceptable basis, but there is no room for complacency. The Municipality can be said to be solvent only if money owed to it (mostly by way of outstanding rates) is treated as recoverable. Most of it will not be. You will shortly receive a report in which the seriousness of this position is uncovered.
The Ratepayers’ Association has an obvious message for its constituents. If they don’t want service delivery failure, they must ensure good governance. The right way to do this is to know whom to vote for and, by proper surveillance and control, hold the elected representatives to account.
Participating, financially and otherwise, in our Association is one of the best methods of achieving this important aim. Withholdin
Please encourage your family and friends to join on www.plettratepayers.co.za
Kind regards,
Peter Gaylard
Chairman
