MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The Chairpersons Association (CA) says it is unacceptable that the Makhado Municipality uses the money of the community to fight the community.

The CA urged Council to listen to the wishes and needs of the local community and to opt for co-operation rather than unilateral decisions, which would invariably lead to confrontation.

In a presentation delivered by Mr Andre Naudé during an emergency meeting of the Municipal Executive Committee early this week, the Chairpersons Association said the proposed business development on the town’s central sportsgrounds is a dividing factor in the community and will have a devastating effect on the existing business community.

“We are already under threat that we may lose our farmers, as a result of land reform, which poses a great risk to the economy of this area. Please do not place our local business people at risk as well, as this is going to be detrimental to the creation of wealth in our area.”

The CA urged Council to take note of the detrimental effect which such one-sided developmental exercises had in other major centres.

“It is known that in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Polokwane, where major developments took place through a decentralization process, vacant premises and danger zones as well as poverty were created within those CBD areas. Their partial recovery was a lengthy process only made possible by the enormous buying power in their communities. Such recovery would not be possible locally.”

This week’s urgent meeting of the executive committee was called to discus the serious confrontation which followed a unilateral decision by the Makhado Municipal Council to rezone part of the central sportsgrounds, to demolish major existing sporting facilities on the sportsgrounds and to allow development of a new business centre by “big developers and national investors.” The local business community objected to the proposal from the outset, saying that there is sufficient space available in the existing Central Business District. Council, however, ignored these objections. An appeal by the business sector and residents of the town against the proposed rezoning and sale was to be heard on October 7 and 8. The cost of the opposing appeal would be R100 000. The CA supported the appeal.

Following a meeting on July 22 this year between the new mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr Rhulani Nkuzana, and various local stakeholders about responsible corporate governance, it was agreed that the issue of the intended rezoning of the sportsgrounds should be discussed urgently in order to avoid unnecessary and costly confrontation between Council and the community. This agreement resulted in this week’s urgent special meeting of the executive council, under chairmanship of the new mayor.

In its presentation, the CA emphasized that it is not against development. Development should, however, be positive, focused, purposeful and structured. Development should compliment wealth creation and should not destabilize the region. Development should create opportunities. One of the goals should be that money and wealth generated through such development should stay in this area and be brought into circulation locally.

“We do not say that national and international investors are not welcome here. But their development and business should not be at the expense of our local business people and community who have been loyal to our region for many years. We cannot afford to destroy or destabilize our local business community in favour of big developers and national investors who have mostly one goal in mind and that is to earn our money, disregarding the consequences of destabilisation of our community.”

The CA requested Council to identify alternative premises for development in the Central Business District and to investigate other more flexible solutions which will achieve a win-win situation where business compliments business and creates local jobs and wealth.

The CA requested Council not to proceed with the proposed business development on the sportsgrounds. It also wanted to know what the cost would be to develop new alternative sporting facilities and who the proposed tenants of the controversial new business centre on the existing sportsgrounds would be. The CA requested a serious rethink on the issue and said it will cost the community dearly to fight this matter against the municipality, while the municipality uses the money of the community to fight the community’s development wishes and needs.

The presentation was welcomed by members of the executive committee as “very progressive.” The committee, in a closed session, then decided not to proceed with the appeal hearing this week.

Mr Naudé from the CA, hailed the Council decision as a meaningful step to open up a constructive channel of communication between Council and the community.

“This can be the basis on which to build benevolent cooperation in the local creation of wealth and sustainable job opportunities,” he said.