What is the Blue Crane Route Ratepayers Association about?
The Blue Crane Route Municipality serves the towns of KwaNojoli (Formerly Somerset East), Pearston and cookhouse is nestled in the heart of the Eastern Cape, a place where history meets natural beauty.
As you stroll down the main streets, you’re greeted by the warm smiles of the locals and the majestic architecture of the old buildings. The histories of the towns are palpable, from the Voortrekker heritage to the influence of the early British settlers.
But despite its beauty and rich history, the towns located in the Blue Crane Route Municipal are facing significant challenges. Sewerage systems are not functioning properly, roads are riddled with potholes, and our water system is in crisis. These issues affect us all, from our health and safety to our property values and the prosperity of local businesses.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to join the Blue Crane Route Rate Payers Association. By becoming a member, you’ll be part of a collective voice that demands better services and accountability from our local government.
Together, we can push for:
- Improved sewerage and water systems
- Better maintenance of our roads
- Enhanced security and safety measures
- More transparent and accountable local government
By joining the Ratepayers Association, you’ll be contributing to a stronger, more united community that works together to address our town’s challenges.
Let’s stand together and demand the services we deserve. Join the Ratepayers Association today and help us build a better future for the residents of the Blue Crane Municipal area.
The Problem
As you are all aware, the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM) is failing all rate payers, residents, business, and farmers in terms of service delivery. They ignore any requests from the public for improved service delivery.
We are at the stage where the infrastructure is deteriorating, because little or no maintenance is performed. We face issues with our water regularly, sometimes for weeks on end. This is not only a health concern, but also a violation of the basic human rights of the residents.
Businesses have to ensure alternative measures are in place for the unreliable water supply. Households have to ensure they have adequate access to water, and not everyone has the means to do so.
In the past, with the unreliable and frequent electrical interruptions, and still today, with certain power lines that are still defective and not being repaired and maintained by the municipality, the results of hardship and absolute devastation to farms and households are tremendous and result in costly losses.
Issues that have been identified are the ailing water supply, the potholes, the stray cattle roaming the street and the sewerage, to name but a few. Should these issues continue, forcing more farmers to move off the grid and households to procure their own water resources, the effects on all residents in our area will be very negative and costly, and not everyone can afford this.
Why should we, as residents, ensure that we have access to basic services and alternative energy resources, when it is something that the municipality should supply?
The Solution
The Blue Crane Ratepayers Association is already acknowledged by the national government as a key stakeholder regarding its view of public participation at the municipal level. We are using this right to be actively involved at the municipal level and taking the municipality to task.
The Blue Crane Ratepayers Association is a non-political entity that advocates for all ratepayers, residents, businesses, and farmers within BCRM’s jurisdiction.
We acknowledge the existing forums and organisations who actively work to improve the BCRM’s poor state. We are not in competition with any of those forums; in fact, we will support them. If we can all join hands and share our strengths, we can change our district for the better. Let us all work together for the benefit of all.
The Blue Crane Ratepayers Association’s core focus is the financial management of BCRM. Its goal is to ensure that BCRM utilizes ratepayers’ and consumers’ funds as per legislation, prevent misuse of funds, ensure proper budgeting where needed, maintain and repair infrastructure, use all available resources to achieve sound financial management by municipal management, and ensure that basic services are being attended to.