Sandra Dickson, Brackenfell (dearcapetown)
Thank you for doing a sterling job about the budget (“Residents stand up to high bills”, Off My Trolley, May 3). I am receiving many phone calls from people who are being made destitute by these increases. Your story is outstanding and very well written.
Bruce Parker,
Marina da Gama
“Residents stand up to high bills” refers.
I have the greatest admiration for Sandra Dickson who has taken up the cudgels on behalf of Cape Town’s residents to challenge the City’s budget proposals and the increased water and electricity charges as well as the ancillary municipal charges, exorbitant salary increases and property rates.
We citizens need to wholeheartedly support her efforts in every way possible.
Unfortunately, there are too many apathetic residents who have the attitude that someone else will do the dirty work, so why bother.
A few years ago I had the experience of mobilising residents in the area I lived, then, (not where I live now) against the City’s attempt to change the land use on municipal owned land to facilitate the erection of a cellphone tower. I was successful, thereby preventing the land use change and the cellphone tower, at the same time making new friends and some new enemies. Not everyone agreed with my stance, but I do not regret it one bit.
The problem is that City councils, municipal councillors and employees lose sight of the fact that they are “public servants” and that they are employed to serve, assist and look after the public, not to place as many obstacles in the way as they possibly can or be as obstructive as they can be.
Go for it, Sandra Dickson – grist to your mill.
Sally Tollin, Noordhaven
I have refused to pay my water bill this month. I used 29 units and was charged more than
R1 500. This is highway robbery. Talk about the plumbing contractors who are in with the municipality, I can tell you a few stories of what has happened in our street in Noordhoek. We are being fleeced and the buddy-buddy system in the municipality is a rip-off.
