ACDP Cllr. Wayne Thring ECOD Questions and Comment@waynethring

ACDP Cllr. Wayne Thring

ECOD Committee Meeting. 7.5.2015.

Questions on Durban Climate Change Strategy.
1. We have a mini air quality monitoring station in our Council parking lot. What are the results it is producing as a monitoring?
A. Dr. Debra Roberts. The results are held with the air quality department and it monitors the quality of air in the city and the amount of CO2 emissions.

2. There are individuals who allege that there are 1st world countries are seeding clouds and pumping chemicals into the atmosphere over 3rd world or developing nations, leading to “chem trails” and atmospheric pollution. This is done with the view to controlling weather patterns and influencing the global climate. Has this been discussed at the international climate change conferences you have attended?
A. Dr. Debora Roberts. We have gone through reams of manuals and there is no scientific evidence that this is true. This is a conspiracy theory followed by a small group of individuals who chose to ignore the vast amount of scientific evidence for climate change.

3. In your presentation you omitted to mention carbon taxes as a mitigating factor for carbon emissions. Is this , the meting out of carbon taxes to local businesses, going to be a part of your strategy and have you considered the snowball effect of these taxes being passed on to the ordinary resident?
A. Carbon taxes are a National prerogative and local governments will have to implement laws gazetted by National government. If implemented, carbon taxes will bring some economic pain to business and the consumer in the short term, but the longer term gains of carbon reduction are more beneficial.

Community Reforestation Project. Buffelsdraai Landfill Site.

The ACDP wishes to commend the various departments involved in improving the lives of our ordinary people on the ground and simultaneously taking care of our environment by planting indigenous trees and removing alien vegetation. The trees grown have been traded for food, bicycles, school fees and building material. The ACDP recommends that this project be replicated in different parts of our Metro.

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Full Council Speeches@waynethring

Full Council Speeches
Cllr. Wayne Thring

Item 2. Partnership With African Renaissance

Mr. Speaker, Renaissance has been defined as: The cultural rebirth that occurred in Europe from about the fourteenth through the middle of the seventeenth centuries, based on the rediscovery of the literature of Greece and Rome. Some may argue that it contributed to taking Europe out of the brutality of its dark ages.

Just recently, South Africa plunged back into a dark period, as we turned violently on our brothers and sisters from Africa. Indeed, we need a revival, a renewal of mind and heart, values and norms, cultures and traditions to break the cycle of xenophobia in our country.

As the deeds perpetrated against our fellow Africans caused us to hang our heads in shame, may the Annual African Renaissance Festival cause us to rediscover who we really are and become the catalyst which undoes the harm caused by the recent Xenophobic attacks.

We are African. The ACDP supports this recommendation.

Item 6. Municipal Budget Adjustment

Mr. Speaker, each financial year, Treasury presents us with a list of unfunded mandates from Provincial government in the form of libraries, museums, and health services undertaken by EThekwini on behalf of Provincial government but without the budget.

It is no secret that there are also government departments that are in arrears for utility services rendered by our municipality. This is another unfunded mandate.

Increasing the Human Settlements budget by R140 000 000 to facilitate payments to service providers, sounds to me like, and forgive my skepticism, another ” unfunded mandate” that the ratepayer of EThekwini has to fund because of poor planning and broken MOA’s by the departments concerned.

The ACDP will not support this recommendation.

7.1 Upgrading of Telemetry in Sewerage Pump Stations

Mr Speaker the ACDP supports the use of modern technology to avoid what one could term, “messy outcomes.”

We call on the Department of Water and Sanitation to take this use of the collection and transmission of data to the next level by installing these telemetry units at key reservoir pump stations, that have malfunctioned due to the numerous electrical outages experienced.

This intervention Mr. Speaker, would help reduce the water outages we have experienced in the Maraianhill, Dassenhoek area.

I thank you.

7.2 Extension of Contract To Appoint Ventyx to Provide Ellipse Support

Mr. Speaker the ACDP supports the recommendation to extend the contract of Ventyx to provide Ellipse 8 support and upgrades. However, the RMS of our municipality continues to be to the ratepayers of EThekwini, what Eskom and Medupi are to the nation; a drain to the fiscus accompanied by numerous delays to the go-live dates.

We were initially sold on the idea of an in-house billing system by then city manager Michael Sutcliffe, and were convinced that no commercially available product met eThekwini’s requirements and that in-house development would negate the need to pay annual licence fees.

Well, the truth is, commercial products are and have been available and we have continued to fork out millions of rands in maintenance (R14.7mil) and license fees (R1.1mil) in the year 2013 alone. In addition, we have to rely on the bespoke systems until the successful implementation of RMS.

Is the RMS going a Trojan horse to EThekwini. Let’s make the necessary changes and make them quickly.

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March to Remember those Massacred in Kenya @waynethring

The ACDP firstly offers its condolences to the families of the Christians massacred in Kenya at the hands of Al Shabab militants. Their only crime was that they were Christian.

We commend the pastors of Durban for coming together to show their support for the families of the lost ones in Kenya and the nation of Kenya as a whole. This is a significant, symbolic expression of unity that ushers in the blessing of our God, according to Psalm 133.

Sadly, Christians today are the most persecuted people’s group in the world. Never before has there been so many atrocities committed against Christians as there are in this dispensation. In the countries where Christians are in the majority, we are told to be considerate and tolerant, and indeed we are. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of countries where Christians are a minority group.

It has been alleged that ISIS issued a statement saying that “for now, there will be no bloodshed in South Africa.” This sounds like a threat delayed.

The ACDP calls on the South African government, SAPS, the Hawks, State Intelligence and other related security institutions to investigate and report on any threat to our nation and its people, where freedom of religion and its expression is guaranteed in our constitution.

Wayne Thring

ACDP Deputy President.

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ACDP Deputy President at the National Alliance For Life March@waynethring.com

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> On 06 Oct 2014, at 11:25 AM, Wayne wrote: >
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> ACDP deputy President, Wayne Thring, ACDP Councillor, Dr. Jonathan Naidoo with Errol Naidoo and wife Arlene giving support to the unborn child at the NAL rally held on Sunday, 5 October 2014. >
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad

ACDP Deputy President at the National Alliance For Life March@waynethring

ACDP deputy President, Wayne Thring, ACDP Councillor, Dr. Jonathan Naidoo with Errol Naidoo and wife Arlene giving support to the unborn child at the NAL rally held on Sunday, 5 October 2014.

Ethekwini Full Council Speeches by Cllr. Wayne Thring @waynethring.com

> On 29 Aug 2014, at 2:33 PM, Wayne wrote: >
> Ethekwini Full Council Meeting
>
> 29 August 2014
>
> First Report
>
> Item 3. Authorization of Council Funding for the Super Bike GP Event. >
> Mr. Speaker, the ACDP is fully cognizant of the positive leveraging effect that certain events have on our city. >
> In fact, some years back, I spoke on the leveraging factor that Spaghetti Junction, linking the N2 to the N3, had on business and hence an increased rates base for our City. >
> In our last ECOD meeting, Mr. Phillip Sithole spoke very convincingly of the leveraging factor that certain events have on our city. In many cases, for every rand that we invest in strategic events, the ROI is often doubled, quadrupled or exponentially increased, having a positive financial spin off for our city. These events bring in local and international tourists, fill up hotel beds, keep our citizens employed and prevents our rates base from shrinking. >
> The ACDP supports this recommendation, marketing Durban as a premier event destination. >
> 5. Approval in terms of Sect. 116 (3) of the MFMA for procurement of construction of communal ablution facilities in Informal Settlements. >
> Mr. Speaker, the ACDP notes that decent ablution facilities adds dignity to the lives of our people, but the use of Sect. 116(3) of the MFMA. one of the reasons our Metro did not receive a clean audit was the AG’s concern regarding >
> I quote from the MPAC report, ” there were still flaws and many instances of poor planning where Departments failed to use the legislated procurement procedures timeously, forcing them to utilize SCM Regulation 36 and Section 116(3) of the MFMA in an irregular manner in order to keep contracts running.” >
> The ACDP is pleased to note that the recommendations by MPAC and the Heads of the relevant Departments are now being applied by supplying this Council with reasons for the extension of the contract, and informing the local community of its intention to extend the contract. >
> What is missing in this recommendation is whether this is a minor or major amendment of the original contract. >
> However, as this is a step in the right direction, in ensuring the proper use of legislated procurement procedures, the ACDP will support this recommendation. >
> Second Report
>
> Item 3. The Durban Infrastructure Development Trust.
>
> Mr. Speaker, the ACDP notes that one of the primary functions of the DIDT was to unlock the developmental potential of the point waterfront area. >
> An out of court settlement with the beachfront watersport clubs and the Durban Point Development Company, owned jointly by Malaysian company RocPoint and the DIDT, should have acted as a catalyst for development within the city. >
> Instead Mr. Speaker, we have a recommendation that the Acknowledgement and Consolidation of Debt, Cession and Transfer of Power of Attorney, in respect of the debt due by the Durban Infrastructural Development Trust be approved. >
> It is only logical that we ask:
>
> What went wrong?
> What is the sum of the debt to be consolidated?
> What are the financial implications of this recommendation?
> What is the role of RocPoint in the acknowledgement and consolidation of the Debt? >
> The ACDP takes its fiduciary responsibility seriously and in the absence of answers to the above questions cannot support this recommendation.
> After a brief explanation from legal that the agreement that Council had with the Trust, that should the Trust be unable to pay its debt to Council, then Council will take over its shares, about R78mil, and settle the Trusts debt of about R150mil, the ACDP decided to abstain on the above item. >
>
>
> Sent from my iPad

Ethekwini Full Council Speeches@waynethring

This meeting was the worst I have attended in my 14 years at Council. It was punctuated by poor decisions and many disruptions resulting in me only speaking on one item, 2.2 below.

Full Council Meeting. 1 October 2014

Report From Municipal Public Accounts Committee

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP welcomes this report with its findings and recommendations and commends MPAC for its work done.

It is indeed scandalous that an employee of Council who was a member of a company, that rendered services to Council to the tune of R32 488 279.50, was able to do so in the first instance.

All five awards given, contravened the sections of the Value Added Tax Act, and in addition the company apparently committing fraudulent acts by submitting duplicate invoices for the Month of March 2010. Furthermore, that the company used Council vehicles to provide a service to Council and Council funds to train its staff and was able to do so, boggles the mind. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly unforgivable that no records exist to prove that services had indeed been duly rendered to Council by the said company.

The ACDP fully supports the recommendation of handing this matter over to the South African Police Services and SARS for further investigation and action. Those found guilty in this matter should meet the full might of the law.

First Report

2.2 Ad Hoc Grant- In – Aid

Mr. Speaker, monitoring and evaluation as found in recommendations 5 and 6 of this item are key functions in the implementation of good governance.

It is the position of the ACDP that organizations that receive a grant in aid from Council, should automatically have been required to submit reports and audited financial statements to the relevant Committee in Council.

It is a pity that this was not made mandatory earlier. Nevertheless, the ACDP welcomes the closing of the obvious breach in the wall of good governance.

3.2 Innovation Week. (Check competence of recommendation. No vote number and no FC number.)

Mr. Speaker, innovation is a key driver of any economy. With unemployment sitting at some 25%, using the narrow definition, and 40%, using the expanded definition, initiatives used to kindle the flames of innovation are welcomed by the ACDP.

This becomes even more important to the well being of our economy and the country as a whole, when we note that some 70% of those unemployed, are young people.

The Youth Innovation Trek and Summit aimed at providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, capacity building and technology based economic and social development, are supported by the ACDP.

4.7. Budget Statement Report.

Mr. Speaker, there is much that I would have liked to speak on concerning this report, but in my 1 minute time allocation, would like to confine myself to the debt owed to Ethekwini by Government Departments and Parastatals.

I have represented the ACDP in this Council since the year 2000, and in that time, outstanding Government and Parastatal debt has continued to be a problem. During this period the ACDP has on every possible accession expressed its concern regarding the tab that our residents have to pick in the form of unfunded mandates from the tiers of government above us. This debt amounts to another unfunded mandate.

The ACDP welcomes the sending of a delegation to meet with the leadership of the affected Government and Parastatal departments, and the further initiatives to bring an end to this financial conflict situation.

The ACDP supports this recommendation.

8. Nomination of Mayor James Nxumalo for Re-election to the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Portfolio Seat.

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP has long given that we are all custodians of this great planet that God has blessed us with.

Some time ago, while you were still chair of ECOD, I submitted that we should never just accept what the so called academics present to us as gospel, without interrogating, questioning and researching ourselves. Global warming has now become climate change.

The ACDP accepts that we should be prepared for events caused by changes in weather and climate patterns have and shall continue to occur as they have done over the thousands of years past.

In this vein the ACDP supports the recommendation.

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Ethekwini Full Council Speeches by Cllr. Wayne Thring @waynethring

Ethekwini Full Council Meeting

29 August 2014

First Report

Item 3. Authorization of Council Funding for the Super Bike GP Event.

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP is fully cognizant of the positive leveraging effect that certain events have on our city.

In fact, some years back, I spoke on the leveraging factor that Spaghetti Junction, linking the N2 to the N3, had on business and hence an increased rates base for our City.

In our last ECOD meeting, Mr. Phillip Sithole spoke very convincingly of the leveraging factor that certain events have on our city. In many cases, for every rand that we invest in strategic events, the ROI is often doubled, quadrupled or exponentially increased, having a positive financial spin off for our city. These events bring in local and international tourists, fill up hotel beds, keep our citizens employed and prevents our rates base from shrinking.

The ACDP supports this recommendation, marketing Durban as a premier event destination.

5. Approval in terms of Sect. 116 (3) of the MFMA for procurement of construction of communal ablution facilities in Informal Settlements.

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP notes that decent ablution facilities adds dignity to the lives of our people, but the use of Sect. 116(3) of the MFMA. one of the reasons our Metro did not receive a clean audit was the AG’s concern regarding

I quote from the MPAC report, ” there were still flaws and many instances of poor planning where Departments failed to use the legislated procurement procedures timeously, forcing them to utilize SCM Regulation 36 and Section 116(3) of the MFMA in an irregular manner in order to keep contracts running.”

The ACDP is pleased to note that the recommendations by MPAC and the Heads of the relevant Departments are now being applied by supplying this Council with reasons for the extension of the contract, and informing the local community of its intention to extend the contract.

What is missing in this recommendation is whether this is a minor or major amendment of the original contract.

However, as this is a step in the right direction, in ensuring the proper use of legislated procurement procedures, the ACDP will support this recommendation.

Second Report

Item 3. The Durban Infrastructure Development Trust.

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP notes that one of the primary functions of the DIDT was to unlock the developmental potential of the point waterfront area.

An out of court settlement with the beachfront watersport clubs and the Durban Point Development Company, owned jointly by Malaysian company RocPoint and the DIDT, should have acted as a catalyst for development within the city.

Instead Mr. Speaker, we have a recommendation that the Acknowledgement and Consolidation of Debt, Cession and Transfer of Power of Attorney, in respect of the debt due by the Durban Infrastructural Development Trust be approved.

It is only logical that we ask:

What went wrong?
What is the sum of the debt to be consolidated?
What are the financial implications of this recommendation?
What is the role of RocPoint in the acknowledgement and consolidation of the Debt?

The ACDP takes its fiduciary responsibility seriously and in the absence of answers to the above questions cannot support this recommendation.
After a brief explanation from legal that the agreement that Council had with the Trust, that should the Trust be unable to pay its debt to Council, then Council will take over its shares, about R78mil, and settle the Trusts debt of about R150mil, the ACDP decided to abstain on the above item.

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EThekwini Municipality Council Speeches By ACDP Deputy President, Cllr. Wayne Thring @waynethring.com

COUNCIL SPEECHES

CLLR WAYNE THRING

FULL COUNCIL SITTING: 29 MAY 2014

SECOND REPORT

4. TERTIARY STUDENT FINANCIAL RELIEF FUND

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP is on record for saying that education is one of the pillars of any nation, and is an indication of the future success of the economy of that nation.

With SA students producing some of the worst results in the world in literacy and numeracy, it is our responsibility to assist our tertiary students, ensuring that they complete their studies and become productive members of our society.

We caution that this must not become a political tool of the ruling party, used to exclude needy students from other political parties.

The ACDP supports this initiative to provide financial relief for needytertiary students.

THIRD REPORT

1.
RATIFICATION OF RULE OF ORDER 18. REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TOWARDS OPENING OF CORNUBIA BY THE PRESIDENT OF SA.

Mr, Speaker, the Cornubia Human Settlements Development, is in the opinion of the ACDP, one that breaks the spatial, town and regional planning of the apartheid government.

In this development, residents will enjoy the benefit of living close to many amenities and possibly close to their place of employment.

The ACDP has always spoken out against the abuse of Rule of Order 18, where this Council is expected to rubber stamp expenses, after the fact.

What adds insult to injury is that the opening of the CornubiaDevelopment was held just before the elections and the ruling party have themselves to blame for the accusations of using publics funds (R1 095 173.00 to score political points.

The ACDP will not support this recommendation.

2.
KWAXIMBA RURAL HUMAN SETTLEMENT DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Speaking, having travelled on numerous occasions to theKwaXimba area over the past few months, one understands more fully the struggles our people, living in the rural areas have to endure.

The ACDP supports initiatives to improve the lives of our rural inhabitants within Ethekwini, as it is in these types of areas that the harsh effects of our socio-economic imbalances are felt the most.

The ACDP supports this recommendation for the construction of top structures in KwaXimba.

3.
PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP applauds the initiative to by eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to achieve one of the best paved metropolitan road networks in South Africa. It is a laudable vision indeed.

The problem comes with the implementation however. On 1 March 2012, I lodged a complaint and concern of about 8 properties, where the owners built driveways, not only over the pavements, but also onto the road. As a result, our children going to and from school and communitymembers, endanger their lives every day by sharing this main arterial road with passing vehicles and taxis.

I have over 15 emails of correspondence and photographs, as proof.

Mr. City Manager, we should not wait for an accident to occur or God forbid, for a life to be lost before acting.

The ACDP supports this recommendation for consultancy support services for the PMS, in order to make Ethekwini one of the best paved metropolitan road networks in South Africa.

12. CONTRACTS FOR STREET SWEEPING IN DURBAN CENTRAL, BEACHFRONT AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

Mr. Speaker, let me say at the outset, that the ACDP has no objection this recommendation.

What the ACDP does express, is its concern over the evaluation of the performance of our street sweepers. What is this concern? On twooccasions I have observed street sweepers sweeping their rubbish into storm water drains, rather than placing it in the bags provided. If this continues over a prolonged period, it increases the danger of flooding and places the lives of motorists at risk.

In supporting this recommendation, the ACDP also calls for greater monitoring of the work of street sweepers and action to be taken against those too lazy to place their rubbish in bags provided.

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EThekwini Municipality Budget Speech By ACDP Deputy President, Cllr. Wayne Thring @waynethring.com

BUDGET SPEECH

ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY

29 MAY 2014

Mr. Speaker, the ACDP wishes thank our City Manager, Mr. Sithole, the head of Treasury, Mr. Krish Kumar, and all other departments, officials and Councillors involved in putting together this budget and extend our congratulations for the numerous awards won by our city.

An Operating budget of R30.1billion and a Capital budget of R5.7billion is one of the largest of all 278 municipalities in the country and comes against a backdrop of a possible recession due to the mining strikes in the Platinum belt.

Our tariff increases of 6.9% for rates, 9.9% for residential water, 12.9% for business water, 7.39% for electricity, 7.9% for sanitation and 7.9% for refuse, represents an average increase of 8% for the ordinary Joe Soap and 8.5% for the businessman. These administered costs, amoung others, continue to be drivers of headline inflation, sitting at 6.1%, outside the SA Reserve Banks range of 3-6%.

With the push-pull, rural to urban migration continuing to increase in our Metro, an unaccounted water loss of 37.3%, unfunded mandates sitting at R1014.3million, electricity theft at R150million, a hostel deficit of R280million, a housing backlog for 408 000 households, our gearing ratio on borrowings at 39% and the cost of our free and subsidized basic services sitting at over R3billion (partially funded from our equitable share of R1.9billion), it cannot be business as usual.

The ACDP supports the introduction of a suite of tax incentives for business, and the effort to reduce red tape for starting up a business in the City, as this is what the ACDP has been advocating for years.

This budget, informed by our IDP, has to be about service delivery. There are many communities like the Mariannridge community, waiting for the promises of housing to be fulfilled. We cannot fail them.

I thank you.

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