The South African Constitution is a potentially dangerous document because it not only legalises plunder and the infringement of individual liberties, it mandates it as an obligation.
Consider that the only purpose of a rational Constitution, as exemplified by the albeit corrupted American model, is to limit the power and sphere of government, not to expand on it!
Chapter 7 for example deals with Local Government and provides that the objects of Municipalities include (section 152 (b)),
ensuring the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner.
Furthermore section 153 provides that,
Municipalities must structure and manage their administration and budgeting…to give priority to the basic needs of the community and to promote social and economic development.
This is typical of socialist planning and is representative of the complete and unapologetic disconnect between policy makers and reality. Politicians want their cake and they shall eat it!
Need of course is infinite and it is impossible to sustain any service on the basis that it be provided to those who simply need it. The question is, who will pay? As for social and economic development the truth is that “social development” like “social justice” is a meaningless unidentifiable term. Is some economic development not social? Apparently.
What is meant is that Municipalities must promote a system in which certain people (the less they have to offer the more the objective being achieved), receive services for nothing and others pay for it. For more on this type of morality see Tupac and SA Morality at MisesSA.
Tariff Policies and water cuts – there are approximately 280 Municipalities in South Africa. Have a look at your local Municipality’s tariff policy. The Tariff policy for the Ilembe District Municipality in Kwazulu Natal is probably reflective of most. Its General Principles (clause 3) provide that,
Service tariffs imposed by the Municipality shall be viewed as user charges and shall not be viewed as taxes and therefore the ability to pay shall not be considered relevant to the application of the tariff...the Municipality shall ensure that costs increases are in line with the Consumer Price Index
After a few paragraphs providing that the tariff must be fairly applied the policy provides that,
The Municipality, in line with the Constitution….may differentiate between different categories of users and consumers in regard to tariffs…..
The only certain thing about the policy is that it certainly makes no sense. If it were a series of mathematical statements it would read,
7 + 5 = 24 ; 100/2 = 500; 700 -1 = 50.678
Consider that because Municipal Services are legislated monopolies, these ‘formalae’ are being repeated in the 280 Municipal areas of South Africa (this while the Competition Commission deems fit to scrutinise productive private enterprises in the name of the public interest and economic efficiency!).
The result will be continued taxation on all working people and miscalculations on infrastructure, supply and price. Ultimatelly, this will result in sudden massive price increases and random disconnections for extended periods of time (as experienced by residents in Ballito more and more often).
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