WESTERN Cape Finance MEC Alan Winde has slammed Bitou Municipality’s rejection of two tourism-related bids in Plettenberg Bay after Mayor Lulama Mvimbi felt they had been “politicised”.
In an open letter to Mvimbi, Winde said he was responding to the mayor’s comments that politics had been dragged into an application by Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary to relocate to Plettenberg Bay, as well as a request for Bitou to assist in funding security patrols at Lookout Nature Reserve.
Both were recently rejected in motions carried by the ANC’s council majority.
“I am extremely concerned that two viable, tourist-attracting, job-creating applications that have come before you have been denied based on the ‘politicisation’ of their cases by your council,” Winde wrote.
Had Mvimbi applied the same principles, he would have turned down the R740000 luxury BMW X5 he had acquired as his official vehicle at Bitou ratepayers’ expense, “as this has also become a politicised and controversial matter”.
“Hypocrisy for personal gain is blatantly unacceptable,” Winde said.
Bitou’s rejection of the Jukani bid was based “entirely on inaccuracies”.
He had found Jukani to be well-managed and environmentally sound when he visited the wildlife park at its current location in Mossel Bay earlier this year.
“This sanctuary would add another special attraction to Plettenberg Bay, adding to its status as a tourist hub. If this was a decision I was making, I would surely want to see the investment coming to my town.”
Mvimbi also “failed to see that if the police were able to perform their functions properly in Plettenberg Bay, Lookout would not require additional security guards”.
Mvimbi’s claim that “security was a police function” denied the “value” added to public safety by Community Policing Forums, he said.
“Instead of putting the best interests of the residents of your town first, you have chosen to base your decisions on politics,” he wrote.
“Your dismissal of these two applications will have a negative effect on the tourism industry of Plettenberg Bay, and the number of future applications for businesses to your town.”
Winde said any decisions about Bitou should be based “on the needs of all of our people” and not politics.
“I refuse to stand idly by while certain factions of your council run Plettenberg Bay’s tourism industry – upon which so many livelihoods depend – into the ground,” the MEC wrote.
Asked for comment, Mvimbi’s office said yesterday: “The mayor feels it will be best not to respond to this letter.”
Source: The Weekend Post Online
So true, and one of the people how constantly battles corruption, Johann Brummer, is fighting just to remain a Councillor.
So true, and one of the people how constantly battles corruption, Johann Brummer, is fighting just to remain a Councillor.
So true, and one of the people how constantly battles corruption, Johann Brummer, is fighting just to remain a Councillor.
In light of the present economy, how do our leaders justify the spending thousands of rands on luxury vehicles as so called company vehicles, whilst there is so much unemployment and poverty in our country. I think it is a disgrace to the people of this country that such spending can and will be justified. Why dont these councillors walk, or take public transport just like the rest of their communities do. Are they so far above all the rest of the public that their feet never need touch the ground?