Talk 18 November 2021

6 Advertising & Newsdesk: (046) 624-4356 Find us on Facebook 18 November 2021 TALK OF THE TOW N
EDITORIAL
OPINION
Court order
needs teeth
There is now another court order against
Ndlambe Municipality for its neglect of the
stray cattle issue and its mismanagement of
commonages.
But will it make any difference?
Residents who follow the issue might
remember a very similar court order in July
2018, then by Judge Clive Plasket,
instructing the municipality to ensure the
tagging and branding of animals,
implement a tariff system for those who
keep animals on municipal land or
commonages, determine the health status
of such animals, comply with the carrying
capacity of its commonages, repair and
maintain fences, and impound all
unauthorised animals found on municipal
land, commonages and wandering in
residential areas.
There were strict deadlines attached to
each part of the order, from three months to
two years from the date of the order.
Farmers who had been frustrated for
years with problems associated with
commonage mismanagement, broken
fences, stock theft, and straying and
diseased cattle on their land believed they
finally had attained a legal victory and the
municipality would be compelled to obey.
Likewise residents who have long had to
deal with the hazards of stray cattle on
public roads, especially on the R72 on Port
Alfred’s east bank, rejoiced that something
would finally be done.
Not so. The situation remained the
same, and in some ways became worse.
Almost daily, the Port Alfred CPF
WhatsApp traffic group receives messages
from irate residents complaining about the
latest incident of motorists having to avoid
stray cattle in the road.
There are apparently “ra n g e r s ” that are
meant to herd these cattle away from the
road, who by some convoluted measure,
have to be called by the fire department. It’s
a wholly inadequate way of addressing the
problem.
The municipality makes no effort to
impound the stray cattle or fine the owners.
Farmers also got no joy from the court
order. It was utterly lacking any
consequence for non-compliance.
But AgriEC did not let the matter rest.
Behind the scenes the legal battle
continued.
Thus far the high court in Makhanda has
been reluctant to grant a contempt order
against the municipality and the municipal
manager and mayor in their personal
capacities, for failing to address the issue,
more than three years after the court
instructed the municipality to implement
the very same things in the latest order.
Organs of state are given much leeway
by the courts and appear to be shielded
from repercussions which would rain down
on private citizens.
We hope there are actual consequences
for the municipality for further failure to
comply. This problem must be resolved.
Jon Houzet
The communal water tanks
serving the residents of New Rest
in Nemato were without water for
three days last week.
The water truck only arrived to
fill up the communal tanks on the
day that Talk of the Town
published its article on the
rumours around the reason for the
situation.
Hennie Nel confirmed the
municipality had paid him for
HILLBILLY STYLE: The Jam Jar Rally passed through Port Alfred last Saturday, stopping over at Ta s h ’s Craft Bar in the small boat harbour. Locals
were intrigued by the array of ‘pimped up’ vehicles. The team driving event has four basic entry rules: cars must be over 30 years old, they must be
valued under R30,000, ‘pimping’ is essential, and there are four drivers per team – no children allowed Picture: JEN DE VOS
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Rain an answer to
prayer, giving hope
We have been called to pray
for life-giving rains to fall on
our thirsty but beautiful
Sunshine Coast.
In recent weeks we have
been blessed with more
than 70mm recorded in 24
hours.
The tanks have been
filled, water has flowed over
saturated ground into dams
and rivers.
Our prayers have been
answered with sufficient
reply to give us hope.
“Do any of the worthless
idols bring rain?
Do the skies themselves
bring down showers?
No, it is you Lord our
God.
Therefore our hope is in
you, for you are the one who
does all.” (Jeremiah 14:22)
Let us continue to give
thanks to Him who knows
our every need.
BRYAN HEINE, Bushman’s
R ive r
Second-hand manners, service
As we are moving and must
sell off most of the house
contents, I asked a dealer to
make me an offer.
Firstly, he arrived with a
notebook, cutting back on
the very reasonable prices
the items were marked at.
He told me he would
email me the offer. At about
9am the next day he arrived
with a light delivery vehicle
Water tanks dry in New Rest
water from his borehole, and
Ndlambe municipal spokesperson
Cecil Mbolekwa said water trucks
were filling communal tanks on a
daily basis.
So the problem is obviously a
fault in the supply chain, with
and trailer, and told me he is
here to load.
I didn’t know what, I
didn’t know the price he
offered, I didn’t know which
items.
Fortunately I asked
Second Best to quote.
They accepted the
marked prices, arranged a
time to collect, and payment
terms. They honoured the
some areas not being serviced
regularly. The municipality must
address this as it’s not the first time
residents have been unable to get
wa t e r for days at a time.
According to the department
of water & sanitation, it is illegal to
Beautiful old trees hacked
I was appalled to see two beautiful old trees
in Biscay Road, opposite SPAR, had been
ruthlessly cut down to almost nothing last
week – presumably because of all the birds
nesting in them!
When will people stop arrogantly
arrangement in full. Excellent
service, Sanelle.
As for the ldv/trailer man,
after telling him I accepted
someone else’s quote he
started swearing at me, spun
the tyres of the ldv and left in
a tantrum like a naughty kid.
At 4pm his offer arrived
by email, how pathetic.
HENDRIK BARNARD
sell water from a private borehole,
so I presume the municipality has
ensured Mr Nel has the correct
water use licence to assist in the
present critical situation?
MARION WHITEHEAD
thinking we are the only ones who have a
God-given right to be here? Nature is such a
beautiful gift and we mess with it at our
own, and our earth’s peril!
ALL LIFE IS IMPORTANT
Let’s not turn town into a toilet
Our town is in serious
trouble with the upcoming
season fast approaching.
The parking at West
Beach by Guido’s is looking
dismal with sand blown
onto the pavement and the
municipal employees who
are responsible to ensure it
is kept at bay seem to be fast
asleep or not bothered to
perform their jobs.
The East Beach parking
is barely accessible as per
your front page photo in last
week’s paper. What is being
done about the situation?
But worst is the
increasing amount of
people urinating along the
main road.
The area by the taxi rank
always has litter being
thrown over the wall and at
any time of the day there
will be someone standing
urinating against the wall.
The worst is women are
now doing the same.
Squatting on the side of the
road baring their bottoms!
The litter around town is
appalling and the little
shanty shops popping up
e ve r y wh e r e makes the town
seem tired and not loved.
I know this town is
loved, but it seems people
have stopped caring. This is
not how investment in Port
Alfred will be attracted.
Some years ago
someone was quoted in this
paper as saying that if he
drove through Port Alfred
and saw the state of this
town he would reconsider
investing here. That was
years ago, it is much worse
n ow.
Come townspeople of
Port Alfred! You retired
here, are raising children
here, have businesses here.
Take ownership of this
town and bring some
positivity back. Stop waiting
for someone else to do
something, you do it.
Arrange clean-ups in
your neighbourhoods, pick
up rubbish on your walks
and reprimand those who
have no regard for the town.
Business owners do
something about the
appearance of your
business, replace the tired
signage, plant some flowers,
remove posters of events
gone by.
On a note of positivity,
well done to the
municipality on painting the
wooden fence and benches
at the braai pens and the
new dustbins around town.
Let’s hope the bins are
used. Perhaps some signage
to say ‘Use the bins – keep
our town beautiful’?
NO TO PUBLIC URINATION
Em e rge n cy N u m b e rs
TideGuide courtesy of the South African Navy
Da t e High Lo w Da t e High Lo w
Port Alfred hospital........... (046) 604-4000
Police station..................... (046) 604-2001/2
N ov 18 0259 1507 0854 2118
22 0452 1659 1046 2312 Multi-Security ................... (046) 624-2508
19 0328 1534 0921 2145
23 0522 1730 1117 2344 Chubb Security ................. (046) 624-4810
20 0356 1602 0949 2213
24 0555 1805 1152 ---- Sky Alarms ........................ (046) 624-2806
21 0424 1630 1017 2242
25 0634 1849 0019 1234 NSRI ................................... 082 - 990 - 5971
Electricity .......................... (046) 624-1111 (a / h )
Gardmed ............................ 0 8 2 -759 - 2 13 4
EMS (Emergency
Medical Services) ........... 10 17 7
Holistic EMS ...................... 063-460-0042
Fire Department................ (046) 624-1111