Residents want to know more about water restrictions and municipal by-laws

Mangaung residents from Ward 24, which includes Uitsig, General De Wet, Fleurdal, Fichardt Park and Hospital Park, gathered for a community meeting to look at service delivery in their community since the local elections took place three months ago.
Among the issues discussed were the recent changes in water restrictions. The water restrictions in the metro have been changed from 20% to 30%. Many residents said that they are unsure how this affect them and they need more clarity. Some residents were still confused as to whether it is okay to water your lawn in the evenings, while others were unsure of the right channel to follow should they want to report those who are wasting water to authorities. Democratic Alliance Councillor for Ward 24, Dirk Kotze, said he felt it was essential to invite Rossouw Botes from Bloemwater to the meeting so that he could provide the community with clarity on the water situation in the municipality.
Former CFO of the municipality, Hans Britz, was also there to provide the community with feedback regarding the current financial status of the municipality. Kotze says that currently the municipality has a debt of R1.3 billion. And at the next council meeting another loan application of R500 million will be discussed. Kotze says the money will be used to pay contractors owed by the municipality and not for the initiatives they want to borrow the money for.
David van Vuuren updated the community on matters taking place in the provincial legislature, while Roy Jankielsohn provided a summary of the national issues from the parliamentary side.
They also discussed small businesses, with community members wanting more information on the laws regarding starting a business at home. Residents also discussed a possibility of starting a weekend flea market in their area as a way to curb unemployment during these tough economic times.
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