Community Survey and Lack of Councillor Feedback

Dear Members,

The Plett Ratepayers' Association has compiled the results of our September community survey regarding the key issues facing Bitou Local Municipality, alongside an update on our subsequent engagement with political candidates ahead of the upcoming election on 4 November.

We received 738 responses from residents across all wards. Your valuable inputs are greatly appreciated and provide a clear, data-driven picture of our community’s priorities.

Key Survey Findings

The survey results provide a solid foundation for constructive engagement with political parties and the incoming Council. In a nutshell, the core priorities identified by residents are:

• Infrastructure & Maintenance: Water and sewerage infrastructure is the top priority, with 77% of respondents placing it in their top three concerns. Furthermore, 75% believe future municipal capital expenditure should be focused on maintaining existing infrastructure.
• Municipal Governance: Accountability is a massive concern. 87% of respondents want corruption and non-performance dealt with decisively and quickly, while 75% want competent leaders appointed. Additionally, 59% placed municipal finances in their top three priorities.
• Rates & Tariffs: Residents do not believe current tariffs offer good value for money. 90% of respondents expressed unhappiness with recent rate and tariff increases, with only 10% viewing them as reasonable.
• Service Satisfaction: Overall satisfaction with municipal services remains lukewarm. The average rating was just 2.7 out of 5, with 33% of respondents outright dissatisfied and only 12% satisfied.

Candidate Engagement and Responsiveness

With the current political parties all running for re-election, we believe it is vital that candidates consider these community priorities, and that residents understand how those seeking to represent them intend to respond.

On 2 October, we sent formal letters to the leaders of each political party currently represented on the Bitou Council (the full letter is below).

We invited them to share their perspectives on the survey findings, identify which issues they would prioritise, and outline the practical steps or commitments they would make to address them in the next term.

Our letter to councillor candidates (2 October 2026)

2 October 2026

DA Councillor Kamkam
AUF Councillor Busakwe
IPM Councillor Kolwapi
PDC Councillor Terblanche
ANC Councillor Gcabayi
PA Councillor Seti

Dear Councillor Candidates,

The Plett Ratepayers & Residents’ Association, together with a number of other civic groups, recently surveyed residents across all wards of Bitou Municipality to hear directly from them about the issues they believe should receive attention from their Council.

While the number of responses varied between wards, there was a striking consistency in the concerns and priorities raised across Bitou.

With a new Council to be elected in November, we believe it is important that candidates have an opportunity to consider these priorities and, equally importantly, that residents understand how those seeking to represent them intend to respond. We are therefore sending this letter to the leaders of each party on council.

We would welcome your comments on the survey findings, including:

• which of the issues raised you believe should be priorities for the new Council;
• any different perspectives you may have on the concerns identified by residents; and
• most importantly, what practical steps or commitments you believe can be taken to address them.

This is not intended as a political exercise or as criticism of any party or individual. Our objective is to encourage constructive engagement between residents and those seeking to represent them, and to give residents a better understanding of the views, priorities and proposed solutions of the candidates standing for election.

We are preparing a follow-up document for residents which will summarise the survey findings and the key issues identified. With your permission, we would like to include your response so that residents can consider the candidates’ perspectives alongside the concerns they have raised.

We would appreciate receiving your response by 10 October 2026 to info@plettratepayers.co.za.

Thank you for taking the time to engage with us. We hope this will contribute to a constructive dialogue about the priorities of Bitou residents and the practical steps needed to address the challenges facing our municipality.

Kind regards,
Plett Ratepayers & Residents Association

We requested feedback by 10 October. Regrettably, as of today, not a single sitting councillor has responded to the concerns raised by the 738 residents represented in this survey. We view this lack of responsiveness from our elected officials with deep concern as they head into a new election cycle.

Next Steps

Our objective remains to foster transparency and give residents a better understanding of the views and proposed solutions of those standing for office.

Following the inauguration of the new Council later in November, the Plett Ratepayers' Association—alongside other local civic groups—will continue to pursue constructive dialogue with leadership to ensure the priorities of Bitou residents are firmly addressed.

Sincerely,
The Plett Ratepayers' Association Committee

PDF documentView survey findingsDownload

PDF documentView From Survey to ActionDownload