NEWS - Grocott's Mail

6 EditorialGrocott’s Mail Friday, 8 October 2010Liberty and ProgressEstablished 1870The value ofindependenceIn by-elections held this week in Kentonon-Sea,an independent candidate, ZacheNgixingo, won Ward 4 with almost 65%of votes cast. This reflects a sharp swingaway from the ANC that in 2006 secured justover 73% of the votes in that ward. It wouldbe foolish to read too much into the resultsof a single ward, after all, the 3 578 voters inKenton are not representative of the nationalpopulation as a whole.On the other hand, on 14 October, wellknown Grahamstown advocate and formerlocal DA Chairperson, Jock McConnachieaims to launch a grouping of independentcandidates to contest next year’s localgovernment elections. He says: “The aimof the New Deal initiative is to de-politiciselocal government and to free it from thegrip of political parties which is stranglingeffective local governance and delivery bothin Makana and elsewhere.”He argues that the initiative to putindependent candidates in council would“re-assert a proper work ethic amongst ourofficials and do away with exorbitant perksand secretive decision-making by a rulingclique behind closed doors”.There is mounting evidence to showthat the politicisation of local government inSouth Africa is having a detrimental effecton service delivery, and there is more thanenough evidence to show that our councillorsare not giving constituents what theydeserve. Even the mayor of Makana Municipality,Vumile Lwana has publicly chastisedcouncillors for not turning up for meetingsthat they are supposed to attend. In fairness,there are some Makana councillors who arevery hard working and diligent, but there areothers – and the mayor knows who you are –who fall way short of required standards.Perhaps the swing vote in Kentonmeans that McConnachie could be ontosomething.South Africa’s Oldest Independent NewspaperIncorporating The Grahamstown Journal(1831 – 1920) Vol. 141 No. 81Published by the David Rabkin Project for ExperientialJournalism Training (Pty) Ltd, 40 High Street,Grahamstown, 6139Telephone: 046 622 7222 • Fax: 046 622 7282/3Website: www.grocotts.co.zaPrinted by PaarlcoldsetE-mAIl AddrESSESNews: editor@grocotts.co.zaWebsite: online@grocotts.co.zaAdvertising: adverts@grocotts.co.za or ronel@grocotts.co.zaSport: sport@grocotts.co.zaletters: letters@grocotts.co.zaGeneral manager: l.vale@grocotts.co.zaEdITOrIAlEditor: Steven LangNews Editor: Abongile MgaqelwaNew media Editor: Michael SalzwedelStaff reporters: Prudence Mini, Andile Nayika,Khanyiso Tshwaku, Olwethu XabanisaStaff Photographer/reporter: Stephen PenneyCommunity news: community@grocotts.co.zaAdvertising manager: Ronél BowlesGeneral manager: Louise ValeGrocott’s Mail is published by theDavid Rabkin Project for ExperientialJournalism, a company wholly ownedby Rhodes University. The contentsof this newspaper do not necessarilyrepresent the views of either body.Code of ConductGrocott’s Mail subscribes to the Press Council’sCode of Conduct, which obliges us to reportthe news truthfully, accurately and fairly (www.presscouncil.org.za). If you think we are not livingup to this, your first step is to contact the Editor.If you are still dissatisfied, we encourage you tocontact the Press Ombudsman at 011 484 3612/8 orpressombudsman@ombudsman.org.zaWhat has happenedto our localbusiness fraternity?‘Local’ refers to the whole of Makana andeveryone with business interests, whether inGrahamstown, Alicedale or Riebeeck-East.It also refers to our agriculturalists and gamefarmers who contribute hugely to the localeconomy.Through the multitude of services theyprovide, the business fraternity have thegreatest influence on the quality of life ofthose living in Makana. Their interests andours are inextricably intertwined. If theyflourish, Makana flourishes. If they wither, wewither.Business people ought to have a direct sayin the management of municipal affairs. Theyshould be represented on council and theirinterests should be informing its decisions.They used to provide key leadership on councilas mayors were very often members of thebusiness fraternity with business expertise.Yet nowadays the businesses have optedout and chosen to ‘leave politics to the politicians’.They’ve done so out of a misguidedsense of self-preservation, believing that theirinterests are best served by going with theflow and being inconspicuous. Hence, for instance,when Grahamstown’s city centre wasreduced to a trash heap during the last municipalstrike, the business fraternity toleratedthe situation and even when one or two werebrave enough to confront the trashers andwere physically assaulted, they were silent.Their timidity is attributable to the tyrannyof the self-proclaimed “ruling party” and itsperceived omnipotence.It explains why, even though most in thebusiness fraternity are unhappy with howMakana is being run, they will not actively andopenly align themselves with opposition to the“ruling party” because they believe they willbecome targets for retribution if they do. Giventhe way the ANC conducts itself in Makanaand elsewhere, the nervousness of the businessfraternity is to some extent understandable,but unless the ANC is challenged or, atthe very least, engaged, it will become moreand more bloated with arrogance and thelevels of efficiency and service delivery, whichare already critical, will continue to decline.The business fraternity needs to once againorganise themselves collectively and to beginexerting direct influence on how our localgovernment functions.They must help to identify suitable independentcandidates to stand in oppositionto the “ruling party” and to represent theirinterests. The Makana New Deal initiativeprovides the business fraternity with a nonpoliticalvehicle to once again involve themselvesconstructively in our local government.They should seize the opportunity. Remainingsupine is detrimental to the economicfortunes of Makana and will, in the end, provedisastrous.Do we have any business leader who isprepared to take up the challenge?Jock McConnachieGreat effort!Congratulations to the group of third yearjournalism students and their helpers fromthe community and from Rhodes for hostinga very successful soccer tournament onSaturday in Joza. With very little resourcesthey managed to create a beautiful space forthe kids and youngsters to display their skillsand to have a pleasant day of recreation. Isincerely hope that this initiative will growand develop into an ongoing endeavour. Whatwas particularly striking is that this group ofstudents did their thing without public praiseor acclaim. Their lecturers and the universitycan truly be proud of them!Community Engagement SupporterSo helpfulIt was only when the funny (or not so funny atthe time) incident of the exhaust pipe fallingoff my car did I realise how great the Grahamstownlocals are! It is a common perception ofstudents to think that there is a definite dividebetween the communities in Grahamstown -that of the residents and that of the students.Write to: The Editor, PO Box 103 Grahamstown 6140Fax to: 046 622 7282Email: letters@grocotts.co.zaThis was proven wrong when local residentswent out of their way to help me. Thanks tothe three gentlemen who temporarily hitchedup the exhaust... in the rain! And thanks toEP Mufflers who did an awesome job free ofcharge!GwenSMS082 049 2146Why is Grocotts Mail costingR5? If it could costless, more people wouldafford it as opposed tonow. Come on, the socioeconomicsituation ofGrahamstown does not favourthe R5.Bongani Kolisi.>>>>>>>>>>Leanne's query about pedestrianscrossing BertramStreet is not a STOPas u r not entering HighStreet - Bertram Street isone way from High Streetdown to New Street. Checkit out Janet. Apology?>>>>>>>>>>Brilliant Griffy cartoonin Friday's Grocott's ofthe worms in Alicedale'swater. Keep up the goodwork.Jane Duncan.>>>>>>>>>>Pseudonyms may be used, but all letters must be supported by a name, signature and street address. Preference will be given to letters which arenot longer than 400 words and are clearly legible. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject letters/photographs.