News from the DA Caucus in the Kouga Municipal Council – 26 September 2011

Inleiding

Die DA-koukus in die Kouga munisipale raad is voornemens om voortaan gereeld ‘n nuusbrief uit te gee. Die inligting in hierdie berig is aan die eerste nuusbrief ontleen.

The local DA caucus

The local DA caucus is made up of the 14 DA councillors who were elected during the May 2011 municipal election. Prof. Chimpie Cawood is the caucus leader, Jan Joy is the  caucus chairperson, and Danny Benson is the chief whip.

The caucus meets weekly for two-hour sessions. They are conducted as mini-council meetings. During these meetings new councillors are empowered and municipal queries and requests from the general public are discussed and solutions tabled.

Portefeuljekomitees

Die DA-raadslede word in alle portefeuljekomitees van die raad verteenwoordig. Die portefeuljekomitees besin oor finansies, infrastruktuur, sosiale ontwikkeling, ekonomiese ontwikkeling, toerisme/skeppende nywerhede en oorsig. Wyk 3 se raadslid, Henda Thiart, dien in die finansies- en oorsig-portefeuljekomitees

Die DA-koukus se aksie- en kommunikasie-plan

Alhoewel die besonderhede daarvan nog nie bekend is nie, het die koukus aan ‘n aksie- en kommunikasieplan gewerk. Beide planne beoog om die Kouga in 2014 vir die DA terug te wen en om in 2019 die bewind in Suid-Afrika met of sonder koalisies oor te neem.

The first 100 days since the May 2011 municipal election

The caucus has highlighted the ANC’s dismal performance during their first 100 days in control of the Kouga municipality. The bottom line is that Kouga is still in a disastrous financial position. The administrative nightmare has also become worse.

The lack of funds means that service delivery in the Kouga is compromised, and that the infrastructure is in very poor shape. These issues are compounded by the suspension of the chief financial officer. The fact that the municipal manager was recently released from his duties does not help either.

With a few exceptions the incumbents of upper administrative personnel structures fill their posts in a temporary capacity. Added to these woes is the fact that ward committees have been established only in a few wards. As soon as one thinks that the municipality has hit rock bottom, one hears that not a single ordinary council meeting has been held to date.

Die DA-koukus se samewerking met ander regeringsvlakke

‘n Baie groot voordeel wat die koukus het is om direk te kan skakel met provinsiale en nasionale regeringsvlakke. So, byvoorbeeld, is die Kouga bevoorreg om vir Elza van Lingen uit eie geledere as parlementslid te hê. Die koukus se daaglikse skakeling met haar is van onskatbare waarde.

Hierbenewens het die koukus direkte skakeling met Athol Trollip (provinsiale leier), Pine Pienaar (provinsiale voorsitter), Elmarie Botha (provinsiale direkteur) en Bobby Stevenson (DA-leier in die provinsiale wetgewer).

Hierdie waardevolle skakelingskanale na die parlement  en die provinsie is tot plaaslike kiesers se beskikking op voorwaarde dat dit deur die plaaslike DA-strukture plaasvind.