AS bekommerde burger en belastingbetaler van die Drakenstein Munisipaliteit dink ek dat stadsraadslid Titus Williams (pastoor), geen tweede kans gegee moet word nie, maar summier afgedank moet word.

Ek meen die munisipaliteit kan nie meer die dienste van raadslid Williams  bekostig nie, aangesien hy die "gedragskode" ken, en onderskryf het.

Daar moet 'n voorbeeld van hom gemaak word, want hoewel hy geen kragrekening ontvang het nie, het hy nogtans heerlik krag in sy huis verbruik. Waarom het hy nie gaan vra waarom hy geen rekening ontvang nie?

Geen wonder die getroue betaler wonder party maande oor "hoë" water- en elektrisiteitsrekeninge nie. Ek glo dit is omdat daar sulke probleme soos dié binne die Stadsraad is.

Geen wonder die munisipaliteit sit met sulke groot skuldprobleme nie. Ek dink die beste is dank Raadslid "Pastoor" Titus Williams af, en spaar 'n hele paar rand vir die Drakenstein Munisipaliteit.

AL Ayford

'n MENS kan nie glo dat mense wat in beheer is van ons dorp, sulke twak kan kwytraak en verwag dat die publiek dit moet glo nie (die hoofberig "Ons gaan huis toe" in verlede week se Paarl Post 10 Oktober).

Om te hoor "ek loop nêrens heen nie, ek was nog altyd NNP" en "ek wil deel wees van die hoofstroompolitiek" is die grootste klomp snert wat hulle kan uitdink.

Hoekom het hulle nie "huis toe" gegaan saam met Van Schalkwyk, toe hy geloop het nie? Hoekom het hulle so lank vir hulself gesit en bluf? Was die burgemeester- en koukusvoorsitterpos en geld belangriker as die verlange na die "huis"?

Meneer, onthou net met die volgende verkiesing sit jy in elk geval sonder die pos en geld, want die kieser het vir die DA gestem en nie vir jou as persoon nie.

Jy het die DA-kiesers verraai en hulle sal dit in 2004 vir jou wys. Ek glo daarna sal jy weer wil wegloop van die huis af.

Anti-oorloper

EK haal my hoed af vir Deetlefs du Toit, DA-raadslid wat sê "skei die kaf van die koring".

Wat hy gesê het, is die waarheid. Ek wens hy was my raadslid. Ons, of altans ek, het nie vir die ANC of NNP gestem nie.

Die Oorloop-bobbejane dryf ons ook nou na 'n tweede Zimbabwe. Hulle sorg net vir hulself en nie vir dié wat gestem het nie.

Hulle kry baie geld, dis dié dat hulle almal die NNP/ANC steun. Die Bobbejane moet maar aan- gaan en kyk waar hulle uitkom.

Lank leef Deetlefs du Toit!

Stemgeregtigde, Paarl

EEN van die hoekstene van ons demonstrasie, soos vervat in die  Handves van Menseregte, Art 33 (1) en (2) lui: Elkeen het 'n reg op administratiewe optrede wat regmatig, redelik en prosedurieel billik is.

Elkeen wie se regte nadelig geraak is deur administratiewe optrede, het die reg op die verskaffing van skriftelike redes.

Dit noop my om te vra wie het die komiteevergaderings van die Drakenstein munisipale raad vir Oktober uitgestel?

Daar was belangrike sake oor opheffingsprojekte ten bedrae van R3 miljoen op die agenda van die komitee waarop ek dien. Die besluit hieromtrent moes teen 10 Oktober aan die skenkerorganisasie oor-gedra gewees het, anders sal die fondse tot die volgende begroting 2003/2004 moet oorstaan.

Is sulke optrede in belang van die inwoners van Drakenstein? Beslis nie! Daar word hoop opgegee dat die gemeenskap deelneem (public participation) aan besluite wat namens hulle geneem word.

Die vraag is of die oorlopers in die stadsraad hul kiesers geraadpleeg het oor die oorlopery, wat die afstel van raadsvergaderings veroorsaak het.

James Solomons (raadslid Wyk 12)

THE Paarl Informal Traders Association (PITA) would like to respond to reports on the issue of informal traders in Paarl.

Since 1993/94 PITA have been trying to get this matter formalised and regulated with the assistance of all the necessary authorities. They never reacted to our requests.

In the July 2001 issue of the municipal newsletter "Drakenstein News" the Municipality revealed their plan to move hawkers to specific sites (without consulting any party involved).

I quote: "The current conditions in Lady Grey Street have become unacceptable and an Exco meeting took the decision that the hawkers will be moved from Lady Grey Street. They will then have to pay for demarcated bays elsewhere - still to be decided upon".

After discussion with our members, we eventually got through to the head of community services, who assured us that "nothing had been finalised".

Finally at a meeting in September last year we were asked to put forward suggestions as to what we wanted to happen in Lady Grey Street.

We handed in three plans, but only one was put forward in the committee meeting where we were present. We were so taken aback, that we did not react.

Not a single suggestion of ours was considered by them because, according to the official, Mr Johan Lambrechts, they did not want to "rediscover the wheel".

It seems they simply want to get rid of the "coloured" people in the town (reminiscent of the Group Areas removals of the Apartheid days when we had to leave our homes, our lives, our history behind).

They have made the Lady Grey Street issue a whole Drakenstein issue without consulting the people from the other Drakenstein towns.

The Municipality wishes to charge fees that are going to slowly but surely wipe out hawking in the Drakenstein area, for stalls so small you can't turn around in them.

The Municipality will receive R26 500 per month for these stalls where people are not going to make any money. They will then sit back and say they are rid of us.

People are struggling to make ends meet and the hawking puts money in their pockets to pay many things including their municipal accounts.

The hawkers spend money they make here in Paarl (unlike many other local consumers including some town councillors).

Those businesses that support the municipality's idea are shooting themselves in the foot.

Mustapha Solomon (PRO), Paarl Informal Traders Association

IF the toll payable for commuters travelling from Paarl to Cape Town is to cost as much as R10 per trip, and for heavy vehicles R30, imagine what that will do to the local economy.

Every vehicle travelling to Paarl to bring stock to the Paarl area, will be stopped at Joostenberg Vlakte to cough up the required amount.

This means that all the food and other goods in our shops will increase in price.

On top of that, residents of the Paarl area who work in Cape Town, will pay as much as R20 per day for the privilege. That means a local resident will face increased costs of R400 per month.

Soon the local market will be flooded with houses, as everyone will want to sell and move to the northern suburbs.

Local factories will want to relocate to Cape Town, to cut down on transport costs.

Local farmers will cut down on their workers to make up for the losses on the toll when they transport their products to the Cape Town harbour.

Towns like Malmesbury could boom, because there will be no toll on the way to Cape Town.

According to the specialists, if we want quality highways, we will have to pay for them or "face potholes galore" - but will there be anyone making use of these pristine networks if they become so expensive to use?

As with everything else in this country, we will pay through the neck in an attempt to maintain standards, but sink slowly downwards to oblivion.

N Smit

Comments can be sent directly to Nomi Muthialu and Associates on fax 0860-102-928 or e-mail nmacpt@global.co.za. - Ed.

ONS leef in 'n tyd waar ons dag na dag gedwing word om al hoe meer maatreëls in plek te stel om onsself en ons besittings te beskerm teen die aanslae van die skelms. Ons verander ons huise in tronke en neem versekering uit wat ons leefgeld insluk.

Word jou handsak uit jou besit gesteel, betaal en betaal jy net. Bankkaarte moet gestop en vervang word, 'n nuwe selfoon- en hopelik jou selfde nommer - ruk jou reeds plat sak (want die beursie is mos weg) nog platter, en selfs biblioteekkaarte kan nie vervang word as jy nie eers opdok nie.

En o ja, van jou bankrekeninge word gevries totdat die nuwe kaart uitgereik word.

As jy nog afhanklik van inkomste via jou selfoon is, is selfs 'n paar dae se broodnodige oproepe ook daarmee heen. Die heel ergste van hierdie hele drama, is die feit dat die vermeende handsakdief in my geval by my huis aangeklop het as 'n  spesiale promosie-agent van 'n alarmmaatskappy.

Konfronteer jy die firma oor hul spesiale promosie-agente se modus operandi, trek hulle skouers op en sê lê 'n klag by die polisie. Wees dus gewaarsku as dié "agente" aan jou deur klop!

E Delport

EK wil die Wellington Polisie, in besonder inspekteur Tersius Laubscher, bedank vir uitstekende diens.

Ek woon op Wellington maar was die naweek van die 21 September uitstedig. My werksman het die oggend omtrent sesuur besef dat daar by my woning ingebreek is. Hy het na die naaste woning gegaan en om hulp gevra.

Tersius Laubscher, toevallig 'n polisieman, het sopas van diens gekom en het hom dadelik na my woning gehaas om ondersoek in te stel. Hy het vasgestel dat daar ingebreek is en my geskakel. Hy het dadelik die nodige reëlings getref en daar gewag totdat die polisie en my seun vanaf Durbanville aangekom het.

Ons hoor so baie negatiewe dinge omtrent die polisie maar met polisie-amptenare soos Tersius Laubscher sal ons omgewing beslis baat, aangesien hy definitief die ekstra myl geloop het.

Gielie du Toit

LIKE a benevolent godfather, Boland police chief Ganief Daniels has 'adopted' the crime-ridden Chicago neighbourhood of Paarl.

But the residents, and especially the gangsters, can be sure that this will be 'tough love'.

As he vowed this week to rid Chicago of gangsters and shebeens with the use of a special task force and air support, it is clear that no button will be left unturned.

Daniels also addressed the social evil of community members who accost police during law enforcement.

He has warned the community that they are not allowed to fight on two sides and that unruly behaviour will not be tolerated.

Daniels is not the only one to be fed up with crime.

A joint operation of Correctional Service, together with the Department of Community Safety, Department of Education and the SA Police Service, will culminate in a march against crime on Saturday.

The purpose of the march is to focus community attention on crime and crime prevention, and all schools were invited to participate.

Hopefully their efforts will make the community aware of social issues such as child abuse, rape, domestic violence and HIV/Aids.

This will again serve to sensitise the community for police efforts in and around Chicago.

The only way to stop the crime wave is not to throw in the towel, but to stand united in intolerance of any criminal activity.