Of course the municipality is going to jump onto another money-making scheme; this is exactly what is happening with the increasing popularity of installing solar power as an alternative, because neither the government nor the municipality can guarantee this basic facility 24/7, something we pay dearly for, not only in tariffs but in taxes in general.
Now the public needs, firstly, to get the municipality’s go-head before making solar installations and on top of that, to pay for it.
But when it comes to building or electrical inspectors, and so on, of the Drakenstein Municipality it is a shambles, firstly, to get them on site. And then it can take up to eight months to have the plans for a very basic garage at a suburban house to be approved.
Believe me, I am a draughtsman for a construction company, and this is a nightmare for many a home owner.
But back to solar systems; when installing a solar system one also needs a “Small Scale Embedded Generator (SSEG)” certificate from the municipality.
The municipality, however, seems not to be in a position to complete the admin processes involved in the issuing of these certificates, as I know of premises where the municipal electrical inspectors conducted the SSEG inspection more than a year ago, but no certificate had been issued.
The municipality has much more to worry about than solar systems; if it really wants to start seeing to the safety of its residents they must take a look at its own municipal flats in Paarl East, which are in total shambles and do not conform to the simplest of health and safety standards.
