DEAR DA, congratulations on your easy victory in taking over our local municipality (figuratively if not literally).
If I may be frank with you, after the hype has been dealt with, I consider getting the power to make and break as you see fit, cannot be classified as such a tough thing to do, as the previous grouping did nothing of note to impress the local electorate.
What I am concerned about is when you actually get your hands dirty in the line of service to the community - it appears to me when this part approaches, the energy levels, the sacrifices, the perseverance, the walking the talk begins to wear thin.
What would impress me, is if you get rid of the pothole nightmare in our area. The arboretum is a kamikaze zone for the unenlightened, Paarl Mountain Reserve a travesty, the Berg River is still dirty, Mari who works for me still doesn’t have a house, Lulu the gardener’s shack (in which he once again has to brave the oncoming winter) is a blight on any community.
Remember Piet Promise of the National Party? My hope is that over the next few years your track record will not be known by this name.
You see, it takes more than a nice salary and meetings and a lot of posturing and gesturing and shouting to make real things happen on the ground.
It takes passion and people with backbone to turn things around (and we need a serious turn around).
We’ve had enough hot air spouted forth in this valley - so much so we could start a spa with a sauna down at the river.
I don’t really care who is in power, as long as they knuckle down and work where it matters - out in the streets, suburbs and settlements where they would hear the voice of the people, see the need and act upon it.
Yes, I know that you have to wait until 2011 before municipal elections take place - my point is this gives you more than enough time to get your ducks in a row.
Ingrid Wolfaardt,
Paarl
