MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Metro building plan approvals halted

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Dear Ratepayers, Business and Civil Society

Yet another typical example of a dysfunctional Metro; NO building plans can be approved due to the Metro not having the position of Inspector filled (see message below). The Acting Executive Director Human Settlements Directorate is not approving the appointment of the only candidate to pass the competency test, allegedly because he is Caucasian.

This means that ALL development in the Metro has come to a complete HALT because the above Acting Executive Director refuses to approve the only competent candidate for the position. This is yet more of a reason why we as ratepayers are busy with the dispute action. We will not rest until this Metro is brought to task and we see the end of corruption and incompetence.

During the meeting with the MEC 3 weeks ago, he once again referred to implementing Section 154 of the Constitution. He began implementation of this Section 154 in early 2011 when he assigned Mr Hani to the Metro as Acting MM. Eight months ago he sent 6 managers under the same Section 154 to our Metro and from 2011 to date section 154 has been nothing but a waste of time and we as ratepayers and business are paying the price. Furthermore, Section 154 is an advisory provision which means the recommendations reached by the MEC’s team DO NOT require implementation by the Metro. During the meeting with the MEC, he committed to the entire Coalition that should the Metro fail to accept the recommendations set out by his team within 3 months, he will invoke Section 139 and place the Municipality under administration.

Unfortunately, we have heard these empty promises many times over the past 3 years. However today we are much wiser. We now realize, after recent meetings with the MEC, Acting MM, Mayor and Deputy Mayor that all they are attempting to do is pull the wool over our eyes until after next year’s General Election.

Kobus Gerber
NMB Ratepayers Association

The message referred to in the above:

I refer to our earlier conversation and attached a letter received from my architect.

As far as I understand from my architect there have been no building plan approval meetings for the last two weeks due to the fact that there is no qualified person employed to do it.

Since the new building regulations were introduced last year all plan approvals have been handled by the building inspectors, who now refuse to do it as it is not part of their jobs and they do not get compensated for doing it.

Apparently a number of candidates applied for the position and only one passed the competency tests. The unofficial version of the story is that this person is white and that the director of the housing and land department will not approve the appointment.

The result of this is that no building plans are approved, resulting in the stopping of all new building projects.

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Port Elizabethan

This author is a 'catch-all' for occasional articles and letters written to MyPE. The Author of each article can be found in the signature at the bottom of each individual article.