Chair: Carin Visser flowers2die4@lantic.net
Summary of news from Sannieshof:
A courtcase against a Sannieshof residents looks as if it might collapse because the municipality has been unable to comply with court directives. In the meantime, the SIBU has installed a new pump at the sewage works and it is working.
Most recent: A letter written from Carin Visser:
Hon Premier Modiselle
North West Province
MMABATHO
Dear Premier Modiselle,
Re: MEETING IN SANNIESHOF ON THE 5th JULY 2009
Firstly, thank you for contacting me and meeting with me regarding the many prevalent problems we have encountered in Sannieshof for an extended period already. As mentioned to you, we have tried all the available means in communications with the Government since 2005, but without any success.
Deterioration in service delivery as such is now affecting our health and the subsequent contamination of our natural resources and our environment. The action we took, was because of the emergency of the situation and the many lives it affected. We therefore do not have a choice but to seek legal advice and will take the responsible persons to court if that is the only solution to our problems, because not only the towns of Sannieshof-Agisanang-Pelhindabe are suffering but all the towns in the North West Province endure problems related to municipal service delivery and governance in different grades.
We wish to prioritize the problems we encounter at the moment in Sannieshof-Agisanang-Pelhindaba as follows:
1. As stated to you and given the proof of the water test results, the water in our reservoir urgently needs to be purified to a SANAS Class 1 Drinking water. The test results revealed the contamination of the drinking water with human excretions and ecoli in the reservoir and in some of the tested boreholes. The water needs to be treated immediately. Several quotations are being asked for and will be finalized during the coming week. For emergency procedures we informed the residents about the condition of the water and instructed them to boil the water and to chlorinate it with household bleach until the water test results prove that the water is safe to use. We need to be able to acquire access to the water reservoir site to enable companies to do a viability study and give quotations regarding the installation of a chlorinating unit. This is an emergency situation and needs to be attended to as soon as possible, without Tswaing Municipality’s threat to have me arrested for trespassing.
2. All the boreholes in Sannieshof as well as boreholes along the river need to be tested for contamination of sewage effluent by the Sannieshof sewage works. The water from the boreholes, as indicated on the test results, that is not suitable for human consumption needs to be chlorinated as well and the cost being for the responsibility of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality.
3. Several water pumps of our boreholes are again out of order caused by lack of maintenance and repair. The constant leakages on pipelines also need to be addressed due to the direct influence it has on the bulk water supply in our reservoir.
4. The sewage works needs rehabilitation urgently to stop effluent flowing into the river catchment area and further polluting the groundwater through seepage and the environment. The USBR (booster septic tank) in the middle of the primary lagoon needs to be desludged to enable the system’s biological fermentation process. To be able to desludge the USBR the primary lagoon needs to be emptied and desludged as well. To do that, the taxpayers of Sannieshof, invited several Engineering Companies to advise us on the rehabilitation procedures to effectively get the sewage works in operation again.
The Tswaing Municipality knows that this plant was not working as planned since the Engineers due to the fact that they never completed the works as planned 1999, due to the fact that they never completed the works as was planned by the Engineers. The effluent from this plant, even in an effectively working condition, will never comply with the general legal limits for effluent deposited into a river according to the specifications of DWAF. This plant will only be a viable operational plant when it is fitted with an electrical cable and a pump at the irrigation dams as planned originally, and the effluent pumped to sport fields or for irrigation on agricultural land.
At present the effluent of this plant can cause the Barberspan Wetland Estuary to loose their status as a RAMSAR site and further contribute to the contamination of river water and boreholes that is affected by the status and quality of the river water.
In this regard I want to bring to your attention the directives from DWAF issued in June 2008 to Tswaing Municipality that was totally disregarded by Tswaing.
5. The equipment to remove sewage from the septic tanks in town is very old, badly neglected in terms of maintenance and on the brink of total collapse. The equipment is not in a state of legal roadworthiness or licensed and more often out of service than in service due to breakdowns.
The service delivery in removing sewage from the septic tanks is a crisis at this moment. All the tanks in town are overflowing at present. At the hospital the drains received removal service more than 6 weeks ago. The hospital reports these drains on a daily basis but receive no service. Only one sewage tanker unit is in operation the other two are again out of service due to a breakdown.
During the budget meeting in 2007 it was stated to us that a tender of R60 000 000 for a waterborne reticulation system was approved for Sannieshof and the development would commence in the 2008-2009 financial year. Again, this was a futile promise in the IDP at that time, that never materialized.
The fleet needs to be replaced, and the service rendered to the public should be effectively managed on a routine basis, without the residents having to report on a daily basis to receive service.
If the fleet cannot be replaced at present and Tswaing Municipality cannot in their financial capacity rectify the equipment as such, please allow us to rectify it ourselves through popper maintenance and replacement of that which needs to be replaced.
6. The total collapse of the accounts department in effectively providing us with sustainable services in all aspects surrounding our accounts, contributes to the mistrust citizens have for the municipality. The Sannieshof Office must operate in an effective manner regarding all problems with accounts. The personnel should be able to handle basic enquiries regarding accounts. Problems with inaccurate meter readings, broken water and electricity meters, clearance certificates not issued, addresses on accounts etc are the proof of this department’s inability to render viable services.
7. The availability of an electricity pre-paid valuator box for the Sannieshof Office ihas been promised to us for almost 18 months. Residents of Sannieshof need to travel 40km to Delareyville to buy pre-paid electricity. In spite of all our efforts and communications with the Municipal Manager, we were every time promised that this service will come shortly.
8. Tswaing Municipality now also discriminates against residents supporting the dispute action. In stead of working together to solve the reasons for the dispute action, they now do not supply a resident with a pre-paid meter box in spite of the fact that this person’s electricity bill is paid up in full and proof is given to the municipality informing them that the account is paid up. We have also reported the matter to Mrs Hilda Ramokgadi of NERSA, informing her of the transgression of the National Electricity Act in this regard. We urgently need help in this regard.
9. If taking into consideration the past two Auditor General reports, the financial situation of Tswaing Local Municipality requires a forensic audit to enable the residents to believe in the transparency of action. For Tswaing to accuse us of causing a cash flow problem seems farfetched as only 0,26% of the total budget are the funds which are withheld in our account of which some was used to repair urgent services. At present the Firebrigade’s truck is out of order and the workers today asked for our help in this regard. We will help them due to the essential and emergency services they have to provide, in spite of the fact that this truck is often misused for transport which is reported to Tswaing regularly.
10. Our dumping or landfill site needs urgent rehabilitation due to the non-existence of management. Residents of Agisanang as well as farmers using the provincial access road adjacent to this site cannot use the road because residents as well as the municipality now use the road as a dumping site. We need a bulldozer to open up the dumping site and rehabilitate the road.
Of the 10 abovementioned priorities, we suggest the following:
1 For the first five points the residents will lodge a court application, which we now have to agree that it will not be opposed by yourselves, the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality or the Tswaing Local Municipality
The rehabilitation of the water and sewage works by the residents, in co-operation with the municipal employees, will then be made an order of court.
2 Points 6 – 10 are to be negotiated with yourself on the basis that the residents will provide these services as an external service provider in terms of section 76-86 of the Municipal Systems Act 32/2000 until the viability of sustainable governance by Tswaing Municipality can be guaranteed according to the Batho Pele Principles and the Auditor general.
In considering the history of problems we as a community experienced since 2005 and beyond as well as the proof of the total collapse of governance by Tswaing Local Municipality and the complete absence of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, I believe, Hon Premier, that you will be able to consider our priorities favourable in this regard.
As always, we state that it is only in working together in a community that we can make a difference in the quality of life for all. But the Government should know that all the citizens of SA have a Constitutional right that at all times must be honoured. By ignoring these rights the citizens of Sannieshof-Agisanang-Pelhindaba face the violation of human rights.
Yours faithfully,
Carin Visser
Chairperson
It has now emerged that the council has no money and cannot pay its bills, and this is why the council is so desperate to get the residents to pay up. The most concerning thing for the attorney, apparently, is that the municipality cannot pay the lawyer!
Carin Visser was invited to meet with Pres Zuma. She did not meet with the president himself, but one of his staff. She handed over all the relevant documents, explained the situation, and stressed that it was not only her own town that was in dire straits, but most towns in South Africa. The official promised to get back to her within 24 hours, but has not been heard from since.
The Sannieshof court case:
Recently the Sannieshof residents brought an urgent interdict against the Tswaing Municipality to compel them to deliver services. This application was turned down, but without a cost order and without a reason for judgment. This must not be confused with the court case that the municipality has brought against the disputing ratepayers, to force them to pay their rates to the municipality instead of into a trust fund. That case still has to come to court.
In dispute since November 2008, paying rates into trust fund, have appointed outside contractors to handle municipal services, achieving success with biological treatment of sewage. Instead of assisting her to get the town functioning again, the municipality is actively trying to prevent her from delivering services. The court case, where the municipality is taking the Sannieshof disputers to court, starts on June 11th. All ratepayers must watch this carefully, as it will have huge ramifications for ratepayers across the country.
An interesting question was asked with respect to Sannieshof: what percentage of the ratepayers are paying their money into a trust account and running the town by themselves. The answer is significant because it indicates how little a town actually needs in order to run successfully, and shows up just how much money is wasted in government.
Here is a newspaper story that sums up the story of Sannieshof quite adequately:
Genoeg! sê Sannieshof
Dorpe regoor SA sal hofsaak dophou
15/06/2009 Sake24
Antoinette Slabbert
Die burgemeester van die Tswaing-munisipaliteit, wat Delareyville, Sannieshof en Ottosdal in Noordwes bestuur, reis na China om lesse in munisipale bestuur te gee, maar tuis in Sannieshof loop die riool in die strate.
Sy koop ’n Mercedes-Benz van R1,3 miljoen, maar daar is nie R75 om die verlore sleutel van ’n posbus te vervang waarheen inwoners hul betalings stuur nie. Die elektrisiteitstoevoer word eerder onderbreek.
Dít is die prentjie wat geskets word in hofstukke wat die besorgde inwoners van Sannieshof en die buurte Agisanang en Pelhindaba, en die inwoners- en belastingbetalersunie van Sannieshof (Sibu), by die Noordwes-hooggeregshof in Mafikeng ingedien het.
Sibu en me. Carin Visser, sy voorsitter, nader die hof in ’n dringende groepsgeding teen die Tswaing-munisipaliteit, me. Manketsi Tlhape, burgemeester, mnr. Dakota Legoete, munisipale bestuurder en mnr. Hennie Breytenbach, tegniese hoof van die munisipaliteit.
Die saak word 22 Junie aangehoor en sal na verwagting belangstelling lok van inwoners landwyd wat ontevrede is met swak diens deur plaaslike owerhede.
Luidens hofstukke het die infrastruktuur in Sannieshof tussen 1999 en 2006 heeltemal verval. Munisipale bestuur was ondeursigtig en bedrog, korrupsie en nepotisme aan die orde van die dag.
In 2006 is ’n sakeforum gestig waar inwoners griewe kan lug, maar daar was geen reaksie van die munisipaliteit nie.
Inwoners het selfs met me. Edna Molewa, destydse premier van Noordwes, gaan praat. Sy was baie geskok oor toestande in die dorp, maar niks het verander nie.
In November 2007 het die inwoners ’n dispuut met die munisipaliteit verklaar. Hulle het hul eiendomsbelasting- en dienstegeld van die munisipaliteit weerhou en dit gebruik om die orde in die dorp te herstel.
Legoete en Breytenbach is glo deurentyd ingelig van die inwoners se optrede en het gelate aanvaar dat hulle onder meer waterpompe en kabels herstel het, trekkers en rioolsuigpompe reggemaak het, die vullisterrein opgegradeer het, sypaadjies geverf en strate en die begraafplaas opgeknap het. Die inwoners het selfs rekenaarkonsultante gekry om die raad se debiteureprogram te herskryf om foutiewe water- en elektrisiteitsrekeninge reg te ruk.
Laat verlede jaar het die inwoners die rioolwerke skoongemaak, stukkende pompe en pype vervang of herstel en aan die werk gekry.
Op 29 April het Breytenbach vir Visser vir die eerste keer by die rioolwerke gekonfronteer en van betreding beskuldig.
Luidens die hofstukke het hy die herstelwerk probeer saboteer deur die elektrisiteitstoevoer af te sny en in die watervloei in te meng.
Op 18 Mei het hy Visser by die rioolwerke glo met die polisie gedreig en op 23 Mei is sy in hegtenis geneem en aangekla van betreding, kwaadwillige saakbeskadiging en diefstal van elektrisiteit – alles weens haar pogings om die rioolwerke aan die gang te kry.
Die staatsaanklaer het geweier om haar te vervolg, maar Breytenbach sal glo enigiets doen om die rioolwerke te saboteer en Visser weer in hegtenis te laat neem. Werkers is glo met digitale kameras uitgerus om op Visser te spioeneer.
Hiervoor was daar luidens hofstukke geld:
- ’n Mercedes-Benz van R1,3 miljoen;
- ’n Huis van R900 000 in Delareyville, een in Rustenburg en ’n plaas;
- Die uitvoerende kommitee het die eindstryd van die Wêreldbeker-rugbytoernooi in Frankryk bygewoon;
- R76 000 vir verblyf tydens die munisipale spele in Windhoek in 2006.
Die inwoners vra die hof dringend om:
- Die respondente te beveel om ’n plan vir volhoubare diensverskaffing en administrasie op te stel;
- Die plan teen 22 Februarie 2010 aan Noordwes se betrokke LUR voor te lê;
- Die inwoners intussen toe te laat om voort te gaan met die rehabilitasie en skoonmaak van die dorp;
- ’n Kostebevel teen die respondente.
- Sake24 het verneem die Tswaing-munisipaliteit gaan die saak teenstaan, maar het nog nie sy hofstukke ingedien nie.
Sannieshof-saak kan baie ander dorpe raak
Belastingbetalers landwyd hou die Sannieshof-saak met groot belangstelling dop. Sannieshof is een van meer as 200 dorpe wat onder leiding van die Nasionale Belastingbetalersunie in die een of ander stadium van dispuutverklaring is oor swak munisipale diensverskaffing. Dié inwoners weerhou eiendomsbelasting en dienstegeld van hul plaaslike owerheid sodat hulle dit self kan gebruik om in te gryp waar munisipaliteite hul plig versuim.
Sannieshof is die dorp wat die verste op dié pad gevorder het. Die saak sal duidelikheid bring vir inwoners landwyd wat, soos in Sannieshof, deur munisipale amptenare verhinder word om self beheer te neem van hul disfunksionele dorpsinfrastruktuur.