What is governing becoming?
by G Servis
2009-07-02 12:10
Dear Editor,
Reading through today's top stories, I find two extremely concerning reports. First, a stabbing incident in a municipality in the Eastern Cape and secondly the debate regarding the purchase of a rather expensive car for a local government in the Free State.
My first concern is regarding the type of leadership that is available in rural areas, the examples set by them (taking knives to meetings) and then the fees that are paid for that "leadership". Local factions fighting for control in this area is all about the haves and have nots. Who controls what and for whom?
It has become a sad day for our country when politicians (at local government, district, provincial and national level) assumed themselves as people having power. What have become of their responsibility? Aren't councillors, speakers and mayors supposed to be servants of the public?
The same goes for ministers, premiers and even the President of the country. But what we see now is that these people elected by the public for the public, misuse their positions to hold onto power, which of cause is accompanied by the huge salaries, status and chip on the shoulder, while service delivery is flashed down the drain (in places where the drains still work).
The second issue regarding the expensive car: What has become of accountability? How is it possible to have the kind of misuse of public property - R144 000 damages? For sure the car was purchased with public finance, earned from taxpayers. And through the government's equitable share programme, taxpayers' money is distributed to these areas as well. This means it is not only local inhabitants' tax being misused, but also taxpayers at national level.
Therefore we as the public demand - yes we demand - better use and better accountability for the moneys that we pay to government.
G Servis
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