Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Fawzia Rhoda, MPL – DA Constituency Head of Bo-Karoo |
| Date: 31 July 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans from Fawzia Rhoda, MPL. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is making an urgent plea to MEC of COGHTSA, Bentley Vass, to furnish municipalities with guidelines regarding their newfound responsibilities, as well as financial capabilities, brought on by the state of disaster.This comes after grieving residents of Colesberg, Noupoort and Norvalspont were until yesterday, at the mercy of Umsobomvu municipality, which had taken a decision to charge grieving families an additional R1500 for funerals scheduled for Sundays. This comes at a time when quick turn-around times between actual deaths and funerals are enforced. Large time gaps required between scheduled funerals, are also pushing more and more funerals into the Sunday overflow slot.The municipality claimed that the R1500 fees to “monitor the disposal of the dead”, included VAT and were worked out to cover overtime payments for two officials, for two hourly slots.The additional fees for funerals, however, quickly angered locals, who felt that the extra costs were unfair, especially at a time when increasing numbers of people are losing jobs and salaries. In effect, more and more people struggle to cover the regular funeral costs of their loved ones, let alone additional charges being levied by the municipality.After locals started voicing their discontent regarding the fees, the Office of the Municipal Manager made an about turn. Yesterday, they issued a memo (see here) stating that, due to financial implications associated with the task, the municipality decided to withdraw its employees from monitoring funerals with immediate effect. The municipality further stated that the only function it would continue to perform in respect of funerals, is the selling of gravesites, which has always been done at a nominal fee.After residents started demanding that they be refunded for fees already charged, the municipality also quickly acceded, as if hoping not to draw attention to their grave mistake.The entire fiasco points to the fact that municipalities have been given too much scope, with too few guidelines of how to navigate their way through the pandemic.This is something that the DA already raised weeks ago, after it became clear that things like emergency procurement concessions, intended to streamline processes, actually open municipalities up to major non-compliance, never mind corruption, because they don’t know what is expected of them.The DA has written to MEC Vass, appealing to him to ensure a more regulated control environment for municipalities during this time of disaster, by making sure that they are given clear guidelines on their new mandates and capabilities.At the same time, we want Vass to investigate the additional funeral fees that were charged by Umsobomvu municipality, as we smell a rat. In this regard, we want to know who authorised the decision to charge the additional fees, as well as who benefitted from the weekend pocket money. Getting answers is crucial to guarantee accountability and ensure that no form of corruption, no matter how small or how subtle, is tolerated.It is unthinkable that, while people are losing their lives, losing family members, losing businesses and losing jobs, unscrupulous officials continue to see how they can best turn an extra buck in the midst of a humanitarian crisis by forcing our people to endure draconian style governance.For as long as the state of disaster exits, municipalities urgently need guidelines plus a double dose of integrity, to ensure that they efficiently serve the needs of the community, as opposed to their own desires. |
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