Ratepayers continue court battles to bring Bitou to booK
Plett’s Ratepayers Association is currently involved with three court cases against Bitou Municipality to prevent ‘fruitless and wasteful expenditure’ from ‘gobbling up’ municipal revenue – YOLANDE STANDER reports
Earlier this year, Plettenberg Bay Ratepayers Association (PBRA) turned to the Western Cape High Court to interdict Bitou from implementing what the Association dubbed “unlawful electricity tariffs” against impoverished communities.
Papers were filed on March 25, after public unrest earlier in the month over electricity woes. Some of the concerns related to claims that the municipality had been charging some residents double the tariffs approved by national regulator Nersa.
Association chair Peter Gaylard explained that the municipality was short-changing those who had fallen into arrears by 50% on their electricity expenditure and offsetting that against other arrear service charges.
Gaylard said they had also launched a second application to interdict “excessive salaries” of some top municipal officials. He added that they had found the maximum remuneration payable to a senior official, determined by regulations promulgated under the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 was being exceeded.
He said their figures were based on what the PBRA had been able to establish. “The municipality resolutely refuses to supply the figures on an official. A demand under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, currently before the court, has been uncompromisingly resisted.”
According to the Association some officials received over R 700.000 per year more than what should be paid under the regulations. This includes a R60.000 cellphone and data allowance, and scarce skills allowances ranging between R245.000 and R302.000 pa.
Furthermore, the PBRA is also busy with litigation to overturn the hiring of municipal manager (MM) Lonwabo Ngoqo and to recover the salary paid to him so far.
The labour court found in August 2018 that Ngoqos appointment was unlawful – after he was dismissed in 2012 over financial misconduct.
The Association explained that a MM found guilty by a disciplinary hearing of serious financial misconduct. had to be placed on a register and was not allowed to be appointed as MM for the next 10 years, yet this was the case in Bitou.
The appointment of a MM must be approved by the relevant MFC for local government. The MFC objected to the approval but the council resisted. This forced the MFC to enforce his decision via the courts. The Bitou council has since filed for leave to appeal.
Bitou Municipality did not respond before going to print.
Garden Route Media – See the PBRA notice on p5.
Source: CX-press News