Witzenberg Indegent Policy Sept 11

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=30 BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" style=" border-left: 1px solid #3366CC;" BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Tulbagh Info Information</B></div> <div> Witzenberg Indegent Policy Sept 11</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="120" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#0099CC HEIGHT= 15 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="local_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tulbagh News Page 2"><U>Back to Local News</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>Councillor John Veschini of the VIP - Voice of Independents Party, differs substantially with the DA ruling Party of the Witzenberg Municipality</B> over the proposed amendments to the '<B>Adjustment of Indigent and Credit Control Policies' of the Witzenberg Municipal Council</B>.</div> <bR> <div> In a nutshell, the Councillors have been advised by the Directorate of the Municipality that the Municipality <B>cannot sustain the losses it is incurring as a result of there being an escalation in the number of households who are classed as 'Indigent'</B> (see table in the documents below as to how the numbers of indigent households are escalating per month).</div> <bR> <div> What we are talking about here is that there is <B>severe abuse of the system</B>, with family members who are employed, on some, grant or another, or employed, living on the same property but enjoying the benefits of the policy of free services, which is supposed to be there to provide for the <B>poorest of the poor</B>. You, <B>the Ratepayer are footing this bill!</B>.</div> <bR> <div> The VIP took the stance that it had no problem with the provision of water meters which would regulate the flow of free water to the extent of 200 lt a day as recommended (6 kiloliters per month), or controlling the use of free electricity <B>to the limit 50 kwh of electricity per month</B> and for those who don't pay for the excess, are controlled by using new installing split prepaid meters and the connection can be limited to 20amps (what that means is that if the share the free electricity with their neighbors, there will be an overload and the meter will trip out). <B>Both these control measure will cost the Municipality in excess of R800 each per water, plus electricity meter plus labour, plus VAT x 3500 to install</B>. Do your numbers? Now where are they going to get this money from? <B>YOU.... Mr. or Mrs. RATEPAYER?</B></div> <bR> <div> Where the real problem lies <B>is in the definition of a 'Indigent Household'</B>.</div> <bR> <div> The Deputy Director placed the two definitions on the table for a decision for Council;</div> <bR> <div> <B>Previous Definition;</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>A family unit consisting of a head of the family, </B><B>BLOOD RELATIVES</B><B>, adopted children, and ANY other persons living on the same plot his/her spouse living in the same house on the same plot.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Current Definition;</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>A family unit consisting of a  head of the family and his/her spouse living in the same house on the same plot.</B></div> <bR> <div> What the VIP proposed was that the <B>current definition be </B><B>retained</B> with the addition of the word <B>'dependent'</B> after the word  'spouse'. The reasoning for this is that the VIP considered that the previous definition was too broad and as such would defeat the object of defining the 'INDIGENT' household to the <B>immediate family and their dependents</B> - with the emphasis on the word <B>'dependents'</B>.  If the household comprises of children, cousins aunts and uncles who are NOT dependent of the <B>head</B> of the home, why should the entire household be subsidised by the rest of the Ratepayers?</div> <bR> <div> The <B>VIP</B> then proposed as such and the DA went into one of their <B>CAUCUSES</B> and after 15 minutes or so, they came back and they decided on the <B>PREVIOUS DEFINITION?</B>.</div> <div> Which meant that the whole exercise was a waste of time if the idea was to <B>save money for the Municipality</B> and put a stop to the abuse of the system?</div> <bR> <div> The VIP took the stance that it is not for Council to go out and determine who in the household should qualify for <B>Indegent status</B>. It was for the Indigent to come to the Municipality and request that they are placed on the Indegent Household policy, or database but that they <B>(the Indegents)</B> must first prove that their household is in fact Indigent? <B>Is this unreasonable?</B></div> <div>  </div> <div> What happened next, was that  it was put to the vote. Guess what?  The DA voted for the previous definition, John Veschini of the VIP, seconded Jacques Klassen of the DCP voted for our motion and the DA voted against it and the ANC abstained from voting? <B>Foregone conclusion?</B></div> <bR> <div> So a whole workshop initiated to save the Municipality money and stop the abuse of the system by all the <B>'hangers on'</B> and the subsequent 'caucus' that determined that the decision was<B> a waste of time</B>? Why? <B>Politics?</B> Neither of the two major parties wanted to be seen to be dealing with the problem <B>for political expedient reasons</B>? </div> <bR> <div> Of course the VIP lost the vote! <B>Now we all pay some more</B>?</div> <bR> <div> Now I do respect my DA and A NC colleagues and am prepared to work with them for the benefit of our community but I detest '<B>political games'</B> at the expense of the Ratepayer! </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10d9e81c0.jpg" border=0 width="744" height="1052" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10dbe71b0.jpg" border=0 width="743" height="1051" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10dde81c0.jpg" border=0 width="744" height="1052" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10dfe81c0.jpg" border=0 width="744" height="1052" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=28 style=" border-top: 1px solid #0066CC; border-left: 1px solid #0066CC;border-right: 1px solid #0066CC; border-bottom: 1px solid #0066CC;" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>