Page 4 — 27th July 2007
Police to comment following
spate of crime in Howick area
Following a spate of criminal activity in
the Howick area two weeks ago, repre-
sentatives from the Midlands Crisis and
Trauma Centre and ward councillor Tim
Lindsay-White met last week and had a pro-
ductive and positive discussion with the sta-
tion commander of Howick SAPS, Senior
Farmers unhappy with MM’s
approach to fire disaster
The chairman of the Howick & District
Landowners Association, Bobby Hoole, has
expressed farmers’ unhappiness with the
municipality’s attitude towards their role in
the recent fire disaster.
After the fire Mr Hoole wrote to munici-
pal manager Dumisani Vilakazi to attempt
to understand their responsibility regarding
fighting fires and their implementing a dis-
aster management plan, if there was one.
He was subsequently invited to address
the Manco meeting on 19th July, and attended
with Jakes Oosthuizen, a seasoned fire cam-
paigner who had been instrumental in the
committee that drafted the Veld and Forest
Fire Act 101 (1998).
In the meeting Mr Oosthuizen highlighted
his concern that the municipality is still not
a member of the Lions River Fire Protec-
tion Association, despite the fact that the Act
requires that it join.
Mr Vilakazi replied, he said, that the func-
tion of fire-fighting was not the municipali-
ty’s responsibility as there are four tiers of
government, including the district munici-
pality too.
Mr Hoole told him he was passing the
Letters to the Editor • Letters to the Editor • Letters to the Editor • Letters to the Editor • Letters to the Editor • Letters to the Editor • Letters to the Editor • Letters to
Quarterly Report of the
Chief Financial Officer,
uMngeni Municipality
Dear Sir,
The Quarterly report for June 2007 just
received reveals the following:- Salary and
Wages Vote Overspent (R2 970 219), Sav-
ings Remuneration of Councillors
R1 165 162, Interest external loans
R1 759 991, Income under-recovered for
Property Rates R17 027 916, user charges
for services R2 358 456 and Income over-
recoveries for Grants and subsidies R1 155
599.
There are numerous other under- and over-
recoveries but insufficient to meet the defi-
cit.
The rates problem is attributed to farm-
ers.
The Debtor’s analysis reveals the total
outstanding as at 30 June 2007 as
R98 611 711.08 of which R80 993 603.29 is
150 days or more. Rates debtors are reflected
as R48 375 816.74 and water debtors as
R25 483 696.52.
Perhaps the M.E.C. Finance could com-
ment hereon together with the Portfolio
Committee on Finance.
The now-infamous uMngeni budget
Nalini Naidoo’s article on 20 July, headed
“uMngeni Budget under fire”, is pertinent.
Notwithstanding that “complex” ratepay-
ers and the Concerned Ratepayers Group
Superintendent Robert Gwala and his CID
head, Captain Naidoo.
It is understood that arrests were made
following the incidents, the situation is be-
ing followed up, preventive measures being
put in place, and that a full joint press re-
lease is to be issued shortly.
buck as uMngeni may fund the vehicles and
staff that are based in Dicks Street, but
uMngeni naturally controls the operations.
When he requested details of uMngeni’s
disaster management planning, Mr Vilakazi
said that this was in the process of being
formed and nothing was in place yet.
He then referred him to the
uMgungundlovu District Council, which
does have a disaster management plan.
When Mr Hoole asked him if he could
send his own report of the meeting to coun-
cillors so that they can consider it and have
firsthand knowledge of his concerns during
and after the fire, Mr Vilakazi said he would
submit his own report.
Mr Hoole then reminded him that at the
beginning of the meeting Mr Vilakazi had
said that the three components of local gov-
ernment — viz. councillors, the administra-
tion (municipality) and the community —
functioning together meant success.
“Now that I have requested my report to
be sent through based on our discussion you
refuse to send it through,” Mr Hoole pointed
Continued on page 8
made available substantial documentation to
MPPs Scott and Tarr reflecting the poor per-
formance of uMngeni Municipality the
MPPs were quoted in subsequent articles
stating that the municipality’s record was
above reproach.
Now it would seem that the “unholy Al-
liance” of Mayor and Manager need to be
recalled to explain subsequent developments.
It is incongruous that the performance
bonus percentage is reflected as consider-
ably higher than that previously awarded to
Dr. Michael Sutcliffe (75%) by eThekwini.
Any percentage above that is beyond the
pale. Only misdirected political support
could reflect the uMngeni figure.
Scott states that there is legislation in the
pipeline from National Government to limit
the capacity of municipalities to determine
rates randage.
In fact this legislation already exists.
Section 20 of the PRA provides that the
Minister (DPLG) may proclaim a percent-
age limitation on rate randage increases.
This year of course the rate randage de-
creased because of the revaluation and such
power was of course ineffective.
More seriously, DPLG have stated in
correspondence that it is not obligatory for
the Minister to issue a Proclamation.
Can ratepayers therefore expect another
unbridled increase in 2008/2009 ?
A senior Parliamentarian has stated that
the above is not in the spirit of the legisla-
tion.
Ethics and business —
The real purpose of business
Dr Martin Prozesky was the uMngeni
Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s
guest speaker at its AGM at the Fern Hill
Hotel on 20th June.
Dr Prozesky is director of the Department
of Ethics of the Unilever Centre at the Uni-
versity of KwaZulu-Natal in
Pietermaritzburg, which was set up ten years
ago and still today is generously funded by
Unilever.
Dr Prozesky, who works in the area of
applied ethics, asked his audience: “What
is ethics?”
In reply, he said,
“It is not about
what you should
not do, but about
success.”
People always
seek success and
a sense of wellbe-
ing — “lasting
wellbeing, espe-
cially that which
Above: Dr Martin Prozesky. cannot be taken
away from you.”
Wellbeing can be viewed in terms of
health, security, friendship, respect and a
feeling of happiness.
He pointed out that every single culture
in the world has the same basic core, and
then outlined three points concerning the
vital tie between ethics and business.
Firstly, ethics needs successful business.
The real purpose of business is not to
make money but to remain in business.
Indeed, ethics needs business that is prof-
itable and lastingly so.
What are we hearing — in terms of ethics
— from people in successful business?
Secondly, why is it that business needs
ethics?
“Ethics” is the key to success in busi-
ness, its magic word since customers, cli-
ents and other businesses all conduct trans-
With the substantial adverse criticism car-
ried in the article, M.E.C. Zweli Mkize will
be hard pressed to explain his Department’s
failure to prevent the present situation de-
veloping as the Minister of finance has del-
egated this function to him.
Claude Edwards, Concerned Ratepayers/
Residents Group, Howick
Recycle centre disregard
of procedure and public
Sir,
In response to the letter by uMngeni
Municipal Manager F D Vilakazi in respect
of the Recycle Center blunder “The Facts “
published in Village Talk, 4 July 2007.
Mr Vilakazi insinuates in his letter that
proper authority was obtained. He is called
upon to prove his statements.
Evidence to the contrary suggests that
neither the Planning Department nor the
Planning Committee were consulted, nor
plans approved by the Building Inspectorate
at that time.
As a consequence, due process of the ad-
ministration itself was not followed. Now
court action is in progress one senses the
Municipal Manager is simply attempting to
legitimize these actions after the fact with-
out transparency or accountability and hence
without due regard to our country’s laws,
our municipality’s by-laws, and the public.
Opportunities to resolve this matter ami-
cably prior to the High Court enforcing such
The Midlands Herald
actions with those they trust.
Are buyers happy with the service? What
is the truth of customer interest (i.e. what
does market research reveal)?
To get the product to be the best it can be,
one needs the best possible people in the
business, and, for example, in the workplace
itself, a heavy-handed leader will get com-
pliance but not commitment.
Thirdly, what are the steps one can take to
implement in business?
a) Leadership: The leader is very visible and
if he or she is not deeply trustworthy, that
person will not obtain the best standard of
work from staff;
b) Need for education: Ethics is partly about
enhancing the goodness in us and although
education works slowly, there are lasting
horizons. (One can make an impression in
20 minutes in teaching ethics, but much more
time is needed);
c) Resources: It needs active, visible sup-
port from the higher echelon and includes
money.
In conclusion he said that the triple bot-
tom-line concept of ethics in business con-
sists of the financial aspect, one’s environ-
ment and the need for a social responsibil-
ity.
This last point is the real one — a social
responsibility of respect, justice, fairness,
and putting a brake on selfishness and un-
fairness.
During question time he produced the
thought-provoking saying: “Laws produce a
society that complies fearfully; ethics pro-
duces the commitment, love, respect etc that
society needs.”
At best, mere laws or legality is a mini-
mum ethic, and in terms of behaviour the
word, “decent”, is far more important than
the word “lawful”.
Asked what can business do, he suggested
that the Chamber lobby for effective polic-
ing of issues in the community.
action were ignored to the ratepayers and
interested and affected parties’ detriment.
The Title Deed itself shows that the recy-
cle centre has been built in contravention of
its zoning and use for parking and toilets, a
condition that could only be approved by the
“State”. To date the Title Deed remains un-
amended.
The facts: It is a fact that the Centre had
been built in defiance of proper zoning.
It is a fact that neither interested and af-
fected parties, nor the community at large,
were consulted prior to its establishment.
It is a fact that the building encroaches
across a street surveyed as long ago as 1850!
It is a fact that no road closure was publi-
cized. It is a fact that the public was never
consulted.
It is a fact that we, the public, are over-
whelmingly in support of recycling, but not
of administrative disregard for procedure and
public opinion, resulting in ratepayer’s
money being used to pay a legal team to de-
fend arrogant disregard of our legislation
against its law-abiding residents.
The relevant provincial authority is called
upon to protect the interests of its people
and investigate the manner in which this in-
sult to the law-abiding public has been in-
stigated.
Officials who act in a wasteful or negli-
gent fashion, in disregard of due process,
should be held accountable in their personal
capacities.
R D MacKellar