Dear Mr Municipal Manager and Mayor
AS I WAS driving home today, I thought about you. The truth is you have been on my mind for quite some time. At first, I did not know why, but then tonight, as I sit in front of my computer, busy with my monthly budget it all suddenly made sense.
Before I tell you why you have been on my mind, let me first tell you a little bit about myself.
I have been a proud Kimberley resident for most of my 40 odd years of life, I am a middle-class working individual, with an average income, I am married and have two children, both in a school in Kimberley.
I will not bore you with the details of my career, but I know why I chose this career path, I know that I am PROUD of my job, I am PASSIONATE about the service that I provide, not only for the residents, but also for the economic and financial growth of Kimberley.
Now I have a question for you, Sir . . . Why do you want to be the Municipal Manager of Kimberley? Why did you choose this career path for yourself? Can you also, with all honesty say that you are PROUD and PASSIONATE about the work that you do? I will give you some time to think about this.
Let us get back to why you have been on my mind . . . back to my monthly budget.
I am sitting here, going through all my bills that I have to pay this month, and I am looking at my municipal bill, quite a steep amount that I have to pay.
Then I pick up a bill from Tiger Wheel &Tyre. You see, I accidentally drove through a pothole earlier this month, so I had to replace two tyres. I also have a bill from the guy who picked up my rubbish four times and my fuel consumption has also increased because I had to use my generator almost every week, for days on end. I had to buy extra water for daily use, as Kimberley’s water was off most of the month. You do know that water is a basic need, don’t you? Just checking . . .
To add to everything, I also had to replace my geyser’s element and I had to buy a new fridge, strange how these things just break when there is no water and the electricity just goes off without notice.
So, I go back to my municipal bill, and to my surprise you charged me for refuse removal, I don’t know why, because I already paid someone else to remove my refuse, because you didn’t want to deliver this service. You charged me for water, which for most of the month was the colour of my daughter’s mud cake water, I could not even bath in it, let alone drink it!
You also charged me for rates and taxes, now I do not know what you do with that money, but it sure as hell is not for the roads, the cleanliness or anything to do with the City, because not one single road in Kimberley is pothole free, some are like dirt roads, and because you don’t collect the refuse, Kimberley looks like one big rubbish dumb!
The roads are truly in a very bad state, no one can drive at night (at least we have a curfew). Residents are fixing potholes.
With this said, I have decided to stop paying my municipal account. I can no longer afford to pay for a service that I am not receiving, a service that is crucial to any person’s livelihood, and then ending up paying for that same service again just to get it done!
Municipal money will now move to a new allocation in my budget . . . to fix my street, buy electricity (solar) and water, replace tyres and rims.
You drive a fancy car, sitting in the back with your tinted windows, you get a huge salary, live in a big house, get an annual increase with a high-profile job title, but did you know with that title comes great responsibility?
Maybe you should roll down your windows for once and really look at what is going on in Kimberley, open your eyes and take it all in, because I think you will be shocked!
So, have you thought about my question earlier on? Why do you want to be the Municipal Manager of Kimberley?
There were Municipal Managers before you, and there will be others after you, but will you be the one that actually makes a difference? Will you be the one that makes Kimberley great again, or will you be the final dagger in this unpolished diamond?
I want you to really think about this letter, think about your job, yes, it is a great achievement to be the Municipal Manager of the Capital of the Northern Cape, but what will be even greater, is the ability to actually do your job the way you are supposed to do it, to make a difference . . . to make Kimberley sparkle again . . . as it should!
Think about your name, the legacy you will leave behind if you manage to turn things around! Or are you not up for the challenge?
Yours Sincerely,
Disappointed Kimberley Resident
