Dear Councillor Lerm.
The Overstrand Accountability Collective (OVAC) would like to congratulate you on your proactive approach in publicly acknowledging and addressing the serious electricity-related concerns affecting many residents of the Overstrand.
Your decision to engage directly with residents, launch a petition (please submit at electricity petition), and escalate concerns regarding Eskom-supplied infrastructure to the highest levels of government demonstrates a welcome recognition of the frustrations and uncertainty currently experienced by many ratepayers and businesses.
In particular, your acknowledgement that there appears to be uncertainty regarding maintenance planning and infrastructure implementation is important. Residents deserve transparency, accountability, and clear communication regarding matters that directly affect their daily lives, livelihoods, and financial wellbeing.
OVAC sincerely hopes that this constructive and solutions-driven approach will also extend to the many unresolved questions and concerns relating to municipal electricity supply matters within the Overstrand Municipality itself.
These include, among others:
- electricity tariff restructuring;
- the public participation process surrounding, and implementation of, the Cost of Supply (COS) process;
- transparency regarding decision-making and approvals; and
- long-term affordability concerns for residents and businesses;
While Eskom-related challenges may fall largely outside direct municipal control, municipal electricity governance is an area where elected leadership and council structures have significantly greater authority and ability to ensure positive outcomes for residents.
As a mayoral candidate, you are uniquely positioned to promote openness, meaningful public engagement, and clear accountability on these important municipal matters.
OVAC therefore looks forward to seeing continued leadership and engagement from your office on these issues in the interests of all communities across the Overstrand.
Yours sincerely
Anton Kruger
OVAC
