Drakenstein Municipality has an extensive list of various bylaws that have been put in place to see that the valley and its citizens are protected from lawless behaviour and degeneration.
But without concerted municipal directives, management and policing, these bylaws are deemed useless.
And that is the evident picture being painted throughout the valley where many areas have become a shambles, with vagrancy and lawlessness having taken over.
If applied adequately, bylaws are perhaps the most powerful regulatory instrument available for municipal administrations striving to create inclusive, accessible and safe cities for their residents and visitors.
The authority to pass bylaws lies exclusively with the council. Bylaws bind both the municipality (political and administrative structures) and the community (including residents, rate-payers, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and labour organisations).
Bylaws offer a means of controlling human and corporate behaviour because they are directly enforceable and compliance to by-laws is mandatory. They can effect positive change in the safety profile of a city. Only once Drakenstein starts implementing it’s own bylaws can it be regarded as a City of Excellence.
