3 minute read
from the Estate Manager’s Desk
I thought, for example, of the recently completed refurbishment of our gym facilities. I also thought of the progress made on the landscaping upgrade project or the installation of the beautifully designed security gates at the entrances. I could talk to you about our plans for the year ahead (and by the way, here’s to wishing you all of the very best for 2023), and what we would like to do to make our lovely Estate even more of a very special place.
But sadly, all of these seem to me to be overshadowed by the devastating water shortages we had of late (I’m hoping that by the time the e-magazine gets circulated, it is something of the past but only time will tell). There has been a lot of talk about the root causes, the contributing factors, and possible solutions to bring an end to this disastrous shortage. This is mainly because there are scores of different technical terms and jargon being thrown around by scores of different experts and officials.
There has also been much debate about who is to blame for this and who we should be looking to for answers. This may be just another indication of the collapse of infrastructure and service delivery that we as South Africans have become so used to by now. We’ve seen protest action by residents and calls have even been made for a Special General Meeting to be held on the matter. I will leave the political discussion on the way forward to be taken there. But what gets to me about this situation we find ourselves in the most is the desperation and despair from a human perspective. You see that on the faces of people queueing in seemingly endless lines at a water tanker in the hot sun just to get a bucket of water to fill the toilet or do their dishes. These are simple things that we take for granted under normal circumstances.
You see it in the tearful eyes of an emotional wife pleading for help with her gravely ill husband at the HOA office. It is sights like these that really bring home the daily struggle of our people to get by and go about their lives without the basic amenities of running water. No one can tell us for sure how long this dreadful water shortage will continue but we remain hopeful that it won’t last for much longer. Let us stand with each other as a community and see it through, as this will surely pass.
I would like to end by asking everyone to also have a kind heart towards the office staff. They are good people doing good work on difficult challenges at times, and they cannot do that without your support.
Wishing you well as always!
Best wishes. Murray Retief
