The MFMA and the people

The Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) to which councillors need to know, municipalities need to abide by and which "holds the municipal manager and other senior responsible for implementation and outputs" in a nutshell describes its crucial aspects.

In the National Treasury pocketbook, former finance minister Trevor Manuel, in 2004, mentions in the foreword, that the above government officials and councillors must "take ownership of this Act... to guarantee democratic decision-making over financial planning, spending and outcomes." All people will feel the effects of the MFMA henceforth.

Taking on this topic feels like one's breaking the fourth wall. However the Constitution with its "Public Participation and Communication" cavaeat declares: "The more informed people are, the better they will understand what government is trying to do and what the budget and resource limitations are" Councillors also have to go through the "legalese" to empower themselves in playing an active oversight role by dissecting and assimilating the all encompassing MFMA.

The best part is that people have access to this information in all its glory on their phones and other Internet devices by going to...

www.treasury.gov.za/mfma you will be familiar with the MFMA and it's rules.

Cllr Vernon Pillay (DA) 

KwaDukuza

10/2/17

KPMG-Gate adds to state capture mystique

The once lauded multi national auditing firm can never recover from the alleged Gupta R30 million Linkway Trading siphoning of taxpayers' money spent on a wedding.

The denials, deceit and draconian manner which the plausibility and depth of state capture a la shadow state utterances go, is now gaining too much traction to ignore.

The ferocity of the fictitious "rogue SARS unit" that KPMG doctored begs the question of whose idea was this to make a sinister and in your face allegation in which Minister Pravin Gordhan was also fingered as well?

KPMG smashing their own integrity to smithereens in this way has been vindicated further by big finance corporates like Old Mutual and Standard Banks, to name a few; breaking ties thankfully.

Government institutions that have ties with KPMG would and should draw the ire, wrath and anger of every South African. Acts of corruption must succumb in quick oblivion.

Cllr Vernon Pillay (DA)

KwaDukuza

9/25/17

Encouraging eSport among youth

As part of the Youth, Sports and Gender (YSG) committee in the KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) a reminder to those who love video games that you are now regarded as an athlete. eSport is a form of competition that involves video games.

Getting local youth involved would require sponsorship from companies like PlayStation (through Ster–Kinekor), Xbox (through Microsoft) and even local businesses with the help of local IT companies in hosting competitions. (FIFA video game fans in KDM would love a Kaiser Chiefs 4–1 Manchester United result).

This healthy pastime is a deterrent to the teens and twenty – somethings especially who take to cheap drugs, smoking and alcohol which destroys brain cells, happiness and judgement.

Gaming is great for hand eye co-ordination, spatial awareness, brain elasticity and promoting complex neural connections which may prevent memory loss and Alzheimers.

The knock-on effects are youth obliterating the digital divide and going on to become the Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Shuttleworths and Elon Musks of the world taking up computer programming, software engineering or making the next big AAA video game title.

9/11/17

Cannabilism and child murders shocking to the core

The KwaZulu-Natal province is suddenly caught in the throes of the demonic and gross beyond gross - human rights violations. 

The Escourt incident of a man declaring that he is sick of consuming human flesh and alleged muti related findings to the Port Edward mutilated bodies of the four Mbhele children ranging in age from four to twelve, also with muti related findings, is beyond horrific. 

How do we as a society deal with such gorry and inhumane acts of murder?

Gross ignorance in the promises of so-called "black magic" to the general populace is a problem that plagues communities.

Superstition can be obliterated by education in the form of awareness campaigns and communities reporting to law enforcement about suspicious activities.

Cllr Vernon Pillay

Ward 19, KwaDukuza

9/4/17

The Mayan 'Armageddon' prophecy

I will write this like a narrator speaking in a doomsday movie...
All the world awaited Christmas 2012 and New Years Eve 2012 with religious apprehension and spiritual longing as an extinct civilisation from ancient South America predicted all the earth's demise on 21 December 2012...
These are their fears and hopes... (imagine the Law and Order 'double dong' going of now).
Folks we have a little over four months until a possible Doomsday scenario that could be celestial (an outer space anomaly possibly an asteroid the size of Jupiter's moon: Titan obliterating Earth ),Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D) which refers to nations 'nuking' each other into oblivion(a Cold War Nuclear War deterrent) and of course one of many of Michel De Nostradamus's quartrains becoming reality.
Many possible Soothsayers and Anarchists will have a field day looking for their 15 seconds or more of fame and infamy from now.
Will Churches, Temples, Synagogues and Cults see unprecedented growth?
I can see GOD becoming the most sought after person (yes according to the Bible and the Bhagavad-Gita he is an individual) enjoying the celebrity status Hollywood stars enjoy but at a level unprecedented. #GOD will trend on Twitter.
Folks I hope this Mayan prophecy does not get a South African political polarisation.

9/5/12

Bryce Lawrence's filtered refereeing

The Springboks lost to Australia with the help of the referee. Hearing Joel Stransky on Supersport on Sunday morning after the match saying that the 'bokke' did not take opportunities was a half truth. Lawrence's mistakes cost us when Morne Steyn was tackled throat high and held in a choke. 
In another incident Steyn was lucky not to be shouldered (no hands) from a Wallaby when the commentator called this a 'match fine and suspension.' In what was a swansong for John Smit, Victor Matfield and others this match saw us at our finest. 
We checked the Wallabies at the lineouts, Francois Louw worked the breakdown like no other player in this tournament with his turnovers and telegraphed tackling. Guthrow Steenkamp got the yards when it counted. We did everything right.Since taking centre stage in an earlier match, Lawrence seemed too eager to appease critics - aptly described as 'filtered officiating' in this match. 
Mr Lawrence is a villian now in the anals of South African rugby for years to come. We will jeer you next time Mr Lawrence.

10/9/11

The journo and politics

Being a newspaper reporter in this here North Coast in what is now election year means the mental filters work overtime. Discriminating against propaganda and political parties looking to use you as a pawn against rivals, keeps you on your toes.
Accusing us of party bias to saying we're rubbing shoulders with certain councillors makes for good Saturday Night Live sketches (think of the sign language interpreter at Madiba's memorial). If you want so called mileage or feel the primal urge to hog the limelight, try theatre. 
Telling editors and GM's how to publish content will be in vain and may have a backlash on a councillors career, his party and more. Playing the vendetta card is like saying you are a victim in a democracy that affords you freedom of speech. 
I am a certified community journalist via UNISA, obtained a certificate for completing Introductory courses in Social Psychology (Wesleyan University, US) and Theory of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism (Yale) respectively. Respect us all regardless... please!

...Written sometime in 2016