Bredell the Reformer!? – Oudtshoorn Online
Bredell the Reformer!?
Plenary executives for smaller councils?
Oudtshoorn. 15 March 2013. 00h01. Western Cape local government MEC Anton Bredell is considering scrapping mayoral committees at smaller municipalities, it was reported on Thursday.
Bredell told the Cape Argus that smaller municipalities such as Swellendam, Kannaland, Prince Albert, Matzikama and Berg River, were spending a “huge chunk” of their annual budgets on councillors’ remuneration.
“I don’t have the numbers, but it has simply become too expensive. In some of these municipalities, 80% of the councillors serve on the mayoral committee, and all of them have to be paid extra.”
I simply have no idea what Bredell is talking about!
s60 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act clearly limits the Mayco to 20% of councillors, or ten councillors, whichever is the least.
More members may only be appointed with Bredell’s permission.
Either Bredell does not know the legislation governing local government, or he does not know what is happening in Western Cape municipalities.
Bredell planned to make a proposal to the provincial cabinet for these committees to be replaced with a plenary executive system.
A plenary executive system limits the exercise of of executive authority to the municipal council itself.
Such council has no Speaker and is chaired by the Mayor.
This news broke as I was leaving a meeting with ANC functionaries who have been pleading for a plenary executive system for months.
These ANC members realise the dire political and administrative situation in Oudtshoorn. And they want rid of Gordon April, the influence of Jeffrey Donson, and the dead wood in the Mayco – without handing power to the DA.
The timing of this inspired Bredell idea is quite interesting. Bredell is having this a-ha moment some months after the DA’s provincial congress, because to have had such lucidity before congress would not have endeared Mayco councillors about to lose a significant portion of their incomes.
What Bredell proposes boils down to a grade 2 speaker busted from R483,568 to R181,338 per annum – a 62.5% cut in salary!
This plan will reduce a grade 2 Mayco member from R453,345 to R181N338 per annum – a 60% cut in salary.
How will someone react who entered into a 60 month lease on a car on the basis of earning R453,345 per annum and committed his 25% of salary travel allowance or R113,336.25 to payments and now finds himself with only R68,001.75 per annum after car payments.
That is just R5,666.81 per month before tax…
Bitou is one of the most cash strapped municipalities and, by the DA’s own reckoning, technically bankrupt. Yet Bredell approves the appointment of 3 staff members in the Deputy Mayor’s office at a cost tot council of around R600,000 per annum.
Bredell should go. And if he does not go he should be fired. And if he isn’t fired the person not firing him should be fired.
Politicians. Ye gods and faeries.
2013/03/14 2013/03/14 DB
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13 thoughts on “Bredell the Reformer!?”
2013/03/17 at 09:04
Ek het die volgende kommentaar van Johann Brummer op jou pos ontvang:
Daardie Mazda (as ons anvaar dit is ‘n 1970 model) is 42 jaar oud. Omtrent tyd hy vervang hom. Dit was onpadvaardig en onherstelbaar en ek het gesê hy moet nie meer daarmee ry nie.
Hy verdien ‘n groot salaris en kan seker daarmee maak soos hy wil, insluitend om vir hom ‘n goeie betroubare kar te koop. Daaroor kan ons niks sê solank hy nie munisipale geld mors op ‘n fancy kar soos Lulama gemaak het nie. Die munisipale “amps” voertuig waarmee hy ry is ‘n ou traffic kar, Toyota Corolla, wat seker nou al sewe jaar oud is. Glad nie uitspattig nie.
Ek het as Speaker gereël dat Supply Chain Mamangement kwotasies kry om ‘n beveiligingsdiens te lewer vir Memory en Einstein. Dit was veronderstel om ‘n korttermyn oplossing te wees vir nie meer as ‘n jaar nie. Hulle kon nie op tender uitgaan onder die omstandighede nie, want die dienste was dringend benodig en hulle het besighede wat die dienste lewer genooi om te kwoteer. Die destydse MM, Lonwabo Ngoqo, het Skorp aangestel op aanbeveling van Supply Chain Management. Ek het destyds die dokumentasie gesien en weet daar was ten minste drie kwotasies bekom soos wetgewing vereis en Skorp was die laagste tender.
Die opmerking oor sy vrou is in baie swak smaak en het niks met enigiets te doen nie.
Die koste verbonde aan die Skorp kontrak beloop ongeveer R150k per maand. Dit is algemene kennis en die toekenning van die kontrak en die bedrag betaalbaar en alle details daarvan was reeds lankal op ‘n raadsvergadering notule. Ek weet Skorp doen ook ander besigheid maar ek dink dit is hoogs onwaarskynlik dat hy R250k per maand kan spaar.
So tussen hakkies, ek het Dirk van geen kant geken voor hy die beveiliging begin doen het nie, en het seker amper ‘n jaar laas met hom gepraat.
Ek sou sê die ou wat dit geskryf het moet die kru opmerking oor Dirk se vrou ontrek.
2013/03/17 at 02:52
Ek sien onse Memory het nou sy 1970 geroesde ou Mazda 323tjie(die een waar hy by so ge-pose het in die koerante en op TV langs die x5 om die kontras te beklemtoon) koebaai voor gesoen, en so suutjies in ‘n mooi lang slap swart merc ingeglip. Dit sou dalk nie so opmerklik gewees het as dit nie vir die veiligheidsmagte se entourage was om hom te beskerm teen Lulama se vorige law enforcement unit nie…..maar wag net so bietjie – dit is dan diedelfde manne! Met een nuwe gesiggie van Dirk Green, die voormalige driving range “pro”, wat met die wegtrek van die DA se termyn verander het in ‘n tipe Chuck Norris of Steven Sequal, met hoogs gespesialiseerde eienskappe soos om byvoorbeeld die hele dag buite in ‘n swart X5 te sit en kyk hoe verorber sy vroutjie die een maaltyd na die ander, en dan te wonder wanneer kom Memory nou daar verby.Maar ek haal my hoed af vir enige ou wat in hierdie moeilike tye dit reg kry om so kwart miljoentjie elke maand weg te sit. Dit is nou natuurlik op daai tender wat hy verniet gekry het by sy maat Brummer, sonder om te adverteer of niks nie. Man dit gaan lekker hier by die see!!!!
Latest news. Acting WC Premier Anton Bredell in the “Dock again”. Wasting taxpayers money on Court Cases & Lawyers instead of improving the lives of those who voted him into his, very comfortable, office.
Case no: 320/12
LAGOONBAY LIFESTYLE ESTATE (PTY) LTD Appellant
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT
PLANNING OF THE WESTERN CAPE First Respondent
THE GEORGE MUNICIPALITY Second Respondent
CAPE WINDLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
GROUP AND 24 OTHERS Third Respondent
Neutral citation: Lagoonbay Lifestyle Estate (Pty) Ltd v The Minister
for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and
Development Planning of the Western Cape &
others (320/12)  ZASCA 13 (15 March 2013)
Bench: NUGENT, PONNAN, TSHIQI and MAJIEDT JJA and
Heard: 25 FEBRUARY 2013
Summary: Land use – regulation of – regional structure plan and
zoning and subdivision – applications to amend.
On appeal from: Western Cape High Court (Cape Town) (Griesel J sitting as court of
1. The appeal is upheld with costs, such costs to include those consequent upon
the employment of two counsel to be paid jointly and severally by the respondents.
2. The order of the court below dismissing the application with costs is set aside
and in its stead is substituted the following:
‘(a) It is declared that the purported decision by the first respondent dated 28 April
2011 refusing the applicant’s application for rezoning and subdivision in respect of the
proposed Lagoonbay development is unlawful and is accordingly set aside.
(b) It is declared that the second respondent is the competent authority to consider
and determine the applicant’s application for rezoning and subdivision in respect of the
proposed Lagoonbay development and its decision to approve that application on 17
July 2010 is confirmed.
(c) The applicant’s application for the amendment of the George and Environs Urban
Structure Plan from agriculture/forestry to township development in respect of the farm
Hoogekraal 238 is remitted to the first respondent for reconsideration.
(d) The respondents are ordered to pay the costs of the application jointly and
severally such costs to include those of two counsel.’
PONNAN JA (NUGENT, PONNAN, TSHIQI and MAJIEDT JJA and SALDULKER AJA
 At the heart of the dispute in this matter is a proposed development on the farm
Hoogekraal 238, which is situated within the George Municipality in the Southern Cape.
The development, which is being promoted by the appellant, the Lagoonbay Lifestyle
Estate (Pty) Ltd (Lagoonbay), envisages a gated community spanning some 655
hectares. It includes: two 18-hole golf courses; 895 single residential houses; 320 single
and fractional title lodges; 150 single and fractional title apartments; a hotel, wellness
centre, spa and clubhouse precinct; a commercial area; conference centre and private
nature reserve. It is by all accounts a fairly ambitious and expensive project – R5 billion
is its projected cost.
2013/03/16 at 07:31
Cut his salary by 60% it will never happen, HZ talks of a “equal opportunity society” what she means is a “equal opportunity to grant tenders to friends and DA supporters and a equal opportunity for her councilors to hitch rides on the gravy train! screw salary adjustments how about letting the people who voted them in having a say on recalls!The DA tell us one thing but do another, look at the corruption and lies in municipality’s DA led and ANC led, its as plain to see as the nose on my face that local politics is failing the people who voted these clowns in!Time to shake things up!
2013/03/15 at 11:59
Joshconn, die wyn. Gegewe die “wynmaker”, kan dit mos net daai wyn wees.
Die onkunde wat Bredell hier blootle vir ons almal om te sien is asemrowend.
Wie anders as die LUK self, dink hy, besluit wie en hoeveel voltydse raadslede ‘n munisipaliteit kan he? Se Bredell nou vir ons hy het ‘n ligte mistykie gemaak toe hy na die verkiesing in 2011 blykbaar in sekere gevalle toegelaat het dat , “80% of the councillors serve on the mayoral committee” terwyl die toepaslike wetgewing verlang dat slegs 20% of ‘n maksimum van 10, watter ookal die laagste is, op ‘n Mayco mag dien? [Artikel 60(2)]
As hy wel so ‘n flater began het, is daar nou ‘n spul belastingbetalergeld vermors as gevolg van sy onwettige optrede. Gaan hy terugbetaal uit eie sak vir sy growwe foute?
Verder, die besluit mbt die hoeveelheid raadslede wat as “voltydse” raadslede op ‘n raad mag dien, word beslis deur die LUK. In ons geval in die Weskaap is dit Mnr Bredell en hy het persoonlik so gemaak net na die verkiesing in 2011, kragtens artikel 18(4) van die Structures Act.
Nou se hy dat sy besluite ten opsigte van die hoeveelheid lede van die Burgemeesterskommittees en hoeveel raadslede per munisipalitiet voltyds aangestel mag word met meegaande salaris struktuur, verkeerd was.
Geheel ondeurdag is miskien ‘n beter beskrywing, want nou eers na amper twee jaar dring dit blykbaar eers tot hom deur dat dit wat hy gedoen het verkeerd en te duur is, en so tussen hakkies, dat as gevolg daarvan ‘n klomp geld wat die munisipaliteite nie kan bekostig vermors is.
Dis duidelik uit wat hy se en doen dat hy nie die vaagste benul het van wat in die wetgewing staan nie en dat sy oorspronklike besluite mbt burgkoms en voltydse raadslede lukraak en sonder die nodige ondersoek na bekostigbaarheid geneem is.
Hierdie man gaan binnekort in ‘n lokaal naby jou vir jou kom se hoekom jy DA moet stem om hom vir nog 5 jaar in sy job te hou. Dink daaraan.
Hierdie Bredell weet nie waarvan hy praat nie. Hy moet asb vir iemand in sy kantoor wat kan lees vra om die wetgewing aan hom te verduidelik. Liefden Vader help ons asb! Kannaland kwalifiseer nie vir ‘n urgemeesterkomitee nie en die drommel van “n Bredell is veronderstel om dit te weet. Dit is ook vir my vreemd dat die Ouditeur-Generaal dit nog nie opgetel het nie. Iemand sal moet betaal vir die “fruitless and wasteful expenditure”.
2013/03/15 at 10:00
i hear Bredell makes good wine, perhaps that is his calling in life
2013/03/15 at 08:55
To what do we owe this sudden burst of activity on Local Government from this perpetually somnambulant man?
I blame it all on O!O and Investigative Public who are continuously pressuring him to do something or resign. Be careful what you wish for, guys. He has resolved to do something! Watch out!
“I don’t have the numbers, but it has simply become too expensive.” Translation: “I have not really applied my mind to this, I am not au fait with the facts or the legislation, but that does not bother me, I have come to an arbitrary conclusion and I am taking the necessary steps to execute.”
With this kind of “intelligence” can you imagine what those cabinet meetings are like? HZ’s mediocre white men at play.
Could it be that the MEC is totally unaware also of the debate around the remuneration of councillors? That there is a strong feeling that they are generally underpaid for the job they do – if they do it properly? Is he aware that the National Ministry is looking seriously at the issue? Has he read any of the discussion papers and even newspaper articles on the issue? Apparently all of that has passed him by and left him blissfully ignorant and unequipped to do his job? (Anton, read Patrick Cull’s excellent piece on councillor remuneration.)
No wonder it is being argued that your average councillor, working at the coal face of politics in direct contact with the daily problems and the often irate public, has a far more onerous and unpleasant job than a provincial MP and that the salaries should reflect that. How many times have you heard of an MP or MPL being attacked in the streets? Having his/her car stoned? Having his/her house attacked and burned? Never! They never interact with the voters but sit in their luxurious ivory tower offices in Cape Town or sit and sleep on the benches. You NEVER see them on the ground unless there is an election in the offing.
Cut their salaries by 60% and give those savings to the municipalities who actually face the problems of service delivery on the ground. On second thoughts, abolish Provincial Government. Provincial Government, like district municipalities are massively expensive white elephants doing what National Parliament and the local municipalities can do far more efficiently and cost effectively. How much of its budget did the WC Provincial Government manage to spend in the past year?
As you point out, Bredell’s decision can have a devastating effect on the finances and lives of those councillors he targets with his half-baked ideas.
Bredell’s unguarded statement gives us a rare glimpse into his and the DA’s psyche. It reveals just how callous and uncaring they can be as to the effect that their half-baked ideas and decisions can have on others. Consider the fact that the very people who Bredell’s ill conceived proposal will harm, are the very people who he expects to work like Trojans within the next year to get him and the DA re-elected. If he is prepared to casually cause such harm to them under those conditions, what does he/they care for the man in the street?
With this kind of out put, should HZ not be cutting Bredell’s salary by 60%?
Somebody capable of this kind of unfeeling, callous and reckless decisions does not belong in government. I agree with O!O and IP, Bredell must resign.
2013/03/15 at 08:35
I agree that there are to many “Municipalities” and, as such Mayors, Speakers & Councillors all being paid with money that should go to service delivery. I remember either the DA or the ANC talking about taking the District Municipalities out. Good start, that should be followed by merging small, even medium Municipalities. Bitou & Knysna could be Government by a single Municipality that works direct with province. I am sure that 50% of all the money paid out in Salaries could be saved and, with less red tape, service delivery will improve.
2013/03/15 at 07:24
Does he have matric without sums ?
Is Hannes nog daar by die DA ?
Het Bredell al bedank ?
2013/03/14 at 21:58
“Welcome to the official website of Swartland Municipality encompassing the Swartland towns of Abbotsdale, Chatsworth, Darling, Kalbaskraal, Koringberg, Malmesbury, Moorreesburg, Riebeek Kasteel, Riebeek West, Riverlands and Yzerfontein.
With our head office and main infrastructure based in Malmesbury – the very heart of the region – Swartland Municipality is no ordinary municipality. We are dedicated to service excellence and, furthermore, believe in sustainable partnerships with our clients – our ratepayers.”
There we are, Swartland Municipality is still following the “Strict rules” cemented during Anton’s rule. Sustainable partnership with the ratepayers (now tax payers). We have nothing to worry about, leave it all to Anton and he will sort it out for us (or who??)
Hy guys, Bredell got his matric, was awarded “Marketing Person of the year in 1996” and was the Mayor of Swartland Municipality! Compared to the average politician, he is a “Star”, so lets take him very seriously.
2013/03/14 at 21:32
“I simply have no idea what Bredell is talking about!” I am sure that Mr. Bredell has.t either. But it looked good!