South Africa

Life on a salary of R714 000 must be hell. Everyday waking up and having to hunt around your modestly furnished palace for some left over caviar or oysters. Your throat, parched after a hard night of drinking Moet & Chandon screaming for water (Valpre of course, none of that rubbish that comes out the tap). Yes sirree, pure hell...

 

Of course then there is the other more privileged half :  

 

"Residents here compete with pigs and cattle for water in boreholes and rivers. Making life even worse, a municipal sewerage pipe spills into the nearby Mthavunyana River from which residents draw water for consumption."

 

I'm sure the questions on everyones lips are - where do these fortunates live and who do they have to thank for providing them with such outstanding services? The answer is a) in Muziwabantu Municipality which falls under the Ugu District Municipality and b) all overseen by the most esteemed Mr KE Mpungose (Municipal Manager). Is the bell starting to ring yet? Yes, that would this KE Mpungose :

 

"In Ugu district municipality, 29% of the budget was allocated to salaries and 9% to delivery. Answering a question by Joanne Downs of the African Christian Democratic Party in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, the provincial local government department revealed that, of 161 000 households in Ugu, - 155 000 do not have access to electricityand 79 000 do not have running water. The municipal manager, KE Mpungose, earns R714 000 a year"

 

All I can say to the residents of Ugu is - getting your money's worth? Cos you can bet Mr Mpungose is! I will leave you with a quote from our most esteemed KE :

 

"As our local democracy gradually takes shape, it is imperative that the administrative team of about 700 that I am privileged to lead should comprehend its fundamental role of providing basic services and development facilitation in the most equitable, effective, efficient and economic manner (max points on that one). Needless to say, this calls for a paradigm shift which comes as a result of a conscious decision to embrace change.  To this end, we invite our customers to make use of our internal audit’s suggestion box initiative; this will give us feedback thus enabling us to embark upon corrective measures, if need be"

 

Methinks the only "paradigm shift" that should occur is you getting thrown off the Margate Pier.