Political Viewpoints - there are plenty of those! Local Politics - much of that too! Municipal affairs - all about that too!

Yes, in a democratic society such as we have here in South Africa, sometimes someone has to 'say it out loud' ?

This site will offer such viewpoints but in respect of that which affects this community on a local level.

Some may say that one should only say positive things about one's Municipality? Why should one do that, if the Municipality and the system is not performing well?

Until now, this Municipality, the District Council and the various Provincial Government departments,appear to be functioning in a world of their own! The Municipality appears to be have been doing all sorts of things without any regard to the norms that a Ratepayer would expect of it, or simply not doing! The higher tiers of Government seem to have given the Municipality and the Mayoral Executive Committee absolute power with no checks and balances, to protect the ordinary citizen.

So, until the webmaster is satisfied that the Witzenberg Municipality is doing it's job well, this site will be critical of it. The criticism will be constructive if it is understood that this is a democracy and voices and opinions should be heard and possibly acted upon when the comment deserves some attention? When positve and sound governance is apparent, praises will be sung for the Municipality.

The following links will lead the viewer to various topics which are believed to be of interest to the community and a point of view that is designed to coerce the Municipality and the higher levels of Government, to take note.

The Combined Municipality - is it conducive to good and efficient governance?

Non-attendance by Councilors at Council meetings

Illegal structures and encroachments

Goats allowed to graze the fynbos at the Galgehuewel Municipal Nature Reserve and drink out of the polluted Klip river

13 July, 2006	Various community organisations and indivuduals of Witzenberg, submit an Appeal to the Department of Environment and Tourism against the proposed 765 kv Power Line which Eskom intends bringing though the Winzenberg valleys of Tulbagh and Ceres
13 July, 2006	Witzenberg Municipality does a backtrack on it's decision and decides not to appeal against the Decision by DEAT to issue a Record of Decision for Eskom to proceed with the monstrous power line.
29 Sept 2006	New spirit of cooperation between the Witzenberg municipality and the community prevails at last. Examples of cooperative and consultative governance recently, have been the development of a more sensible Spatial Framework plan for Tulbagh, positve developments in resolving the Tulbagh Water crisis and discussions to resolve the matter of inadaquate functioning of the Ward Committees and the lack of public discipline in Tulbagh.
29 Sept 2006	Municipality is to be congratulated for the improved state of cleanliness apparent in Tulbagh. In fact visitors are now remarking on how clean the town has become!
16 Nov 2006	No futher response from a letter by the Tulbagh Ratepayers / Inwoners Forum dated 22 August 2006 about the way the local Ward Councillor has attempted to manipulate the results of the Ward Committee elctions. Once again the Municipality is showing that the 'so called' new Spirit of Cooperation cannot last?
16 Nov. 2006	What appears to be Raw sewerage flows freely into the Klip River at the Klip River Caravan Park again! So the situation is now gettin worse and the authorities who are the custodians of the water resourses of the Berg River catchment area sit fiddling with their thumbs?
16 Nov.2006	Webmaster is advised that the Ward Committee elections have been declared by the Municipality at a meeting on 12 October, 2006 to be nul and void (unlawful). The notice was apparently posted in the Witzenberg Herald issue of 10 November, 2006 but the Ratepayers / Inwoners Forus has yet never had a response to it's representation. Be that as it may, a battle has been won. There is still hope for democracy and we that the municipality for a wise decision.
22 Nov. 2006	Positive response my the Municipal Manager to the pollution of the Klip River. Co-operative governance is alive and well!