LOUIS TRICHARDT - Local taxpayers will once again have to foot the bill for the seemingly total collapse of the Makhado Municipality's ill-fated attempt at a professional public relations exercise by means of an unqualified functionary.

An attempt by the newly created Department of Corporate Services to have the post level of its newly appointed Public Relations Officer (PRO) reviewed was this week referred back by Council.

The appointment of Mr Peter Muleya as Public Relations Officer in an apparent attempt to enhance the Makhado Municipality's corporate image and to address the long standing frustration of the local media with the lack of official information forthcoming from Council is, according to local media observers, heading for an expensive disaster.

Mr Muleya, an obvious political appointment into a highly specialised professional post, has so far done little else than demonstrate his lack of understanding of his official duties, a total disregard for official appointments and his inability to meet the requests and deadlines of the media and is fast becoming an embarrassing liability to his employers.

In an apparent attempt to shift the responsibility for Council's political bungling and fast fading image onto the media, Cllr Michael Makhado this week proposed that the municipality should remedy the breakdown of positive communication with its taxpayers by issuing (at the additional expense of the taxpayers) its own quarterly news bulletin, to be distributed to the public "free of charge with a minimal cost."

The motion, seconded by Cllr I M Mphaphuli, argues that the municipality is not getting the credit it deserves from the public it serves and that the lack of such publicity is "primarily because of reliance on public media, both print and electronic."

It says the municipality has to get the credit it deserves from the public, which has to be appropriately informed of the activities of the Municipality. The motion was deferred to the next meeting of Council. If it is accepted, the taxpayers will have to foot the additional bill through the budget vote on publicity.

Local media representatives have pointed out that official responses to their requests for newsworthy information, which are not sufficiently reflected in the official Council agendas, are handled in an unacceptable and unprofessional way. It is at times delayed for more than a month, bluntly refused or simply ignored. They complain that the agenda handed to the media and the way council meetings and business are conducted are totally counter productive to transparency.