MINUTES OF ST. FRANCIS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION PUBLIC MEETING
23RD JULY 6PM AT VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT:
Committee Members viz: Joe Oosthuizen, Hilton Thorpe, Bennie Morsink, Tony Moore, Chris Barratt, Anne. Knight, Keith & Shelley Donaldson, Warren Manser and Paddy Oosthuizen
Councillors: Ben Rheeder
Estimated public attendance 200
WELCOME:
Importance of keeping Residents informed.
There are a few important issues that need to be discussed but the focus will be on:
Declaration of Dispute with the Kouga Municipality
Nuclear
Other Matters:
Beach Update
MATTERS TO CONSDER IF DISPUTE IS DECLARED:
Have Ratepayers tried all other alternatives?
Have Residents got grievances to justify withholding rates?
What is the legality of this move?
Are any other Civic Assocs. withholding rates?
What do we hope to achieve?
How will ratepayers manage this move?
How would the withheld funds be utilized?
How long would this action last?
How will this move impact residents?
Who would be prepared to help?
MUNICIPAL MATTERS (PRIOR LIST) – FIRST KM & FEKRRA MEETING
Implementation of a Dispute Resolution Mechanism
Complaints Handling by Kouga Municipality
FEKRRA Matters
Residents Complaints
Participation in the Budgeting Process
Rectification of the flawed Valuations process
The release of the latest Auditor Generals Report
Improving Transparency of Tender Process
Hydrological Survey of Kouga Region
Fire Protection and Plot clearing
Clarification of sales of eight erven in Jeffries Bay
Recouping of missing Eskom prepaid meters money
The KM’s proposed Newspaper
Unsatisfactory Disciplinary Hearings
The unresolved saga of Japie Jansen and Fred Dennis
Most of these issues remain unresolved
HAVE RATEPAYERS TRIED ALL OTHER ALTERNATIVES
We have exhausted our options and matters do not seem to be improving.
Letters and reports to KM.
The use of FEKRRA to highlight grievances.
The Use of the Press.
Letters to the Treasury Department, the Auditor General and the Public Protector.
Letters to the MEC.
A Facilitated Workshop where we made use of Christo Nel a Nationally renowned facilitator.
FEKRRA follow up meetings.
HAVE RESIDENTS GOT SERIOUS ENOUGH GRIEVANCES TO JUSTIFY WITHHOLDING RATES?
Millions of Rand have been wasted or disappeared from Municipal Coffers. (AG Report)
The promise by the KM to address the way out of line Valuations has not materialized.
Ratepayers and Residents input into the budget has been totally ignored and no written reply on any of our inputs has been received.
The infrastructure of the town is being allowed to deteriorate. (Ineffectual Municipal Mgmt. Team).
There is no transparency in the budget.
None of Ratepayers offers to assist have been accepted. (Regarded as insignificant sector)
HOW LEGAL IS IT TO WITHHOLD RATES?
Rates are being withheld by forty towns across South Africa in some cases for as long as two years. Currently the legality of this has not been tested in court.
It is not legal to impose a rates boycott but rates have successfully been withheld from Municipalities in Trust or holding accounts. The details of these monies are supplied to the Municipalities monthly.
If Ratepayers pay their Service Fees (eg electricity, water and sewerage) the Municipality has no legal right to cut off these services. (But they try to).
WHAT DO WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
Better service delivery and corruption free local government. This should reflect in the AG’s report
A transparent understandable budget where ratepayers inputs have been taken into account.
Non political appointments within Local Government so that our Municipality has the capacity to provide better, cost efficient service delivery.
We would like the gross irregularities and misappropriation of funds addressed in a decisive manner. Officials must be held accountable for their areas of responsibility.
Residents would like to be seen as a resource and utilized as such.
That proper valuations get done across Kouga.
WHAT RATEPAYERS AND RESIDENTS ARE DEMANDING
– DEADLINE 1 DECEMBER 2010.
Honest and efficient local administrators who are qualified to do their jobs. (See 2009 Report on State of Local Govt. in South Africa by Dept. of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs).
“Insufficient human and financial capacity to deliver on constitutional and legal mandates and on citizen expectations”.
“Too many opportunities for fraud & corruption to take place. Nepotism, Cronyism, Poor ethics, Poor values, Weak accountability frameworks. Political factionalism results in territorial economic elites”.
A full independent forensic audit be done on the affairs of the KM.
That the current CFO be removed from office. – He does not enjoy the confidence of the local community, does not allow participation by civics and does not look after the interests of Ratepayers. The Sundays River Municipality where the CFO comes from is in turmoil.
That a life style audit of the financial affairs of the Mayor, his cousin Fred Dennis and the CFO be undertaken.
That the inputs that were submitted by Ratepayer Associations be accommodated in the budget.
That all valuations that are 33% over or undervalued compared to last time be re-assessed (as promised by the Mayor)
That the total Salaries and wage component of the budget be reduced to no more than 35%.
That the shortcomings in our infrastructure be addressed in transparent systematic way.
That the key recommendations of the AG’s report be implemented with immediate effect.
HOW WILL RATEPAYERS MANAGE THIS ACTION?
With difficulty but it may well be worth the effort.
We would need to take care of at least the following:
The admin of the rates payments and submitting a record of monies in our own rates account to the KM monthly.
The calling for tenders, the adjudication of tenders and the awarding of tenders. The monitoring of progress and payment of contractors. (Nothing bars us from using KM approved contractors but they will have to go through the tender process).
Communication with the KM and Province.
Possible legal actions.
HOW WILL THIS MOVE IMPACT RESIDENTS?
Threats
Attempts to stop supply of Electricity
Periodic disruption of services if we are not organized
HOW WOULD THE WITHHELD FUNDS BE USED?
To build up the infrastructure in St Francis Bay and Sea Vista.
Sewage works capacity
Roads
Street signs
Beach facility upgrades
Cutting of verges
Town maintenance
Accounting and administration
HOW LONG WOULD THIS ACTION LAST?
Until such time that the KM agrees to our legitimate demands and provides us with firm measurable undertakings. These undertakings must be on the go so that ratepayers can see that these undertakings are simply not empty promises as in the past.
WHO WOULD BE PREPARED TO VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST?- About 30 people volunteered
Questions from the Floor:
Does everyone have to participate and if not what percentage makes it viable?
JO – We can start with small numbers, this obviously diminishes the chance of making an impact if we do not have a large fund to use. Sannieshof started with only 20% of the residents withholding rates and now have 80% plus withholding.
Q- If one is selling a property, you need a rates clearance certificate and if we withhold rates we will not get this, how do you propose to handle this.
JO – We did discuss this with NTU and in cases like that we would simply pay over any rates withheld to the Municipality for that particular individual so that the clearance is given.
Q- From St. Francis Chronicle. Are any of the other FEKRRA towns also considering withholding rates.
JO –Not at this stage. St. Francis Bay is the most organized of all the towns and has the largest membership. They may well follow suite later on.
The Meeting was asked for a show of hands for those in favour of Declaring a Dispute and those against.
Of the approximately 170 people present, 169 were in favour and 1 was opposed.
A bulk email is to be sent out to all out of town residents informing of this action.
NUCLEAR
Progress Report on Thyspunt
Formation of Thyspunt Alliance.
Acknowledgement to Trudi Malan and Helmie Tilders for initiative, to Cheron Kraag for a major donation, and to other donors
Engagement of leading environmental lawyer, Cormac Cullinan, by the Thyspunt Alliance.
Responses to the First Draft EIA submitted to Arcus Gibb by the closing date of 30th June. Details on Residents’ Assocn website: www.sfbresidents.org
Numerous errors, omissions and superficialities in specialist reports, and evidence of bias by consultant.
Serious problems identified with Thyspunt site, plus failure to investigate alternatives.
Confusion over technology – Generation 111.
Heritage component now being pursued by Koi-San community, with support from Dr Jan Binneman.
Chokka Industry ignored.
2nd draft promised by Arcus Gibb.
EIA in total disarray, but Eskom carrying on regardless.
Protest march in Jeffreys Bay last Saturday. Well attended. Mayor undertook to meet Alliance to discuss problem areas.
Have probably won the latest skirmish, but huge political pressure, and war certainly not won
ST FRANCIS BEACH PROJECT
- New high In July
The volume of the sand on the beach had doubled since the project was started some twenty months ago. (41.8 to 84.4 thousand Cub meters).
During this period the average beach height has risen by just over 26.9 cm
The weakest area along the spit “the narrows”, has improved dramatically. In November 2008 the average beach level in this area was only 7.3 cm. Currently the ave. beach level in this area is 37.5 cm.
SIC have doubled the number of vertical drains along the beach and it appears as if the trend of improvement will continue.
Sandvolume
St. Francis Bay
2600 Metres long and 60 Metres width
Analysis
