The Midlands

Halfway Toyota Howick

033-330 2175
HERALD Number 200 • December 2008
Tel. 033-330 6000 • Fax: 033-330 6950 • P.O. Box 1500, Howick, 3290
www.halfwaytoyota.co.za
e-Mail: mherald@mweb.co.za • www.esnips.com/web/MidlandsHerald
Proprietor and editor: Russell Barnes

Howick by-election
too close to call
A
n opinion poll conducted by NCRC, a Cape
Town-based market research company, re-
veals that the DA and ANC are in a statis-
tical dead heat in a Howick Ward 2 by-election. NCRC OPINION POLL
The by-election is due to take place on Wednes-
day 10th December 2008.
HOWICK WARD 2 BY-ELECTION
The poll was conducted between 28th October
and 26th November via telephonic surveys of ran-
ANC DA
domly-selected voters in the ward, and factors in a
margin of error of 6.8%.
The poll takes into account the latest registra- POLL RESULTS
tion statistics and assumes turnout levels that oc- ANC 48.4%
curred in Howick during the 2006 elections.
Constituency MP Greg Krumbock of the DA DA 48.4%
commented to The Herald that the by-election was ACDP 1.6%
“likely to be decided by less than 50 votes and that
victory would go to the party whose supporters OTHER 0.9%
wanted it most.
“While the ACDP and the independent candi- INDEPENDENT 0.6%
date have been forecast by NCRC to gain only 2.2%
of the vote in total, this may be enough of a split in
the opposition vote to play into the ANC’s hands,
delivering to them an undeserved victory.”
Local Howick DA Councillor Tim Lindsay-White
told The Midlands Herald that he believes the DA
has been a tough and effective opposition in Howick
which has persistently and successfully fought for
ACDP OTHER INDEPENDENT
residents’ rights, and now asks Ward 2 voters for a
mandate to continue these initiatives.
Voting stations open at 7 am and are expected to
close at 9 pm. Voters can cast their ballots at either
the sportsfield in Bell Street or at Nogqaza Pri-
mary School.

uMngeni Speaker fails to

release forensic report to Council
Left: Forensic
investigation still
unreleased — by
uMngeni council’s
Speaker, Surya
Pillay.
The forensic investigation report on the
financial affairs of uMngeni Municipality has
still not — almost a year after its completion
— been released for public comment.
The report is believed to be damning and
clearly to implicate senior staff members of
the municipality in fraudulent activities.
In 2007 the minister of Local
Government, Housing and Traditional
Affairs, Mike Mabuyakhulu, authorised the
enquiry in terms of Section 106 of the Local
8 000 copies
Government Municipal Systems Act, no. 32
of 2000.
In a letter at the time, the minister stated
that he as minister and his department would
continue to make every effort to ensure that
the municipality implements effective, effi-
cient, transparent and accountable manage-
ment and internal control systems in the in-
terest of transparency and accountability in
government.
Vilakazi wanted enquiry into enquiry
However, municipal manager Dumisani
Vilakazi responded by immediately calling
for an enquiry into the minister’s desire for
a forensic investigation.
Once the report was complete and handed
over to the minister it exacted suspicion as
Established May 1996
to its contents when it remained, unreleased,
in his own office for many months.
Eventually according to protocol, it was
handed over to uMngeni council’s Speaker
Surya Pillay, with the instruction that she
table it on Council’s agenda within 21 days.
However, 121 days later she has still not acted
on this instruction and has consistently
maintained that she is seeking legal opinion.
Ratepayers want to petition contents Bauer Hostess
Residents of uMngeni, eager to see its con- trolley/warmer — R1 999
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recommendations in terms of the report, are Kenwood coffee-maker — R250
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Sony Bravia 32” LCD TV — R7 599
Ideas handmixer — R99
FREE Carving knife — R96