GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
20 April 2023
Western Cape MEC for Local Government Anton Bredell must account to citizens for the failures of Western Cape municipalities to spend money provided by national treasury specifically to improve conditions in poorer communities.
Given the region’s status as among the most unequal societies on earth, and the squalid living conditions for millions of people, the announcement that tens of millions of Rands in conditional grants to 10 Western Cape Municipalities must be returned to National Treasury to be spent elsewhere is an utter disgrace.
National Treasury provides a number of grants to municipalities specifically intended to address under-development, and the provision of basic services and essential infrastructure to communities most in need.
The grants include: The Energy Efficiency and Demand-Side Management Grant; Water Services Infrastructure Grant; Municipal Infrastructure Grant; Rural Roads Asset Management Systems Grant; and Integrated National Electrification Programme Grant.
The Western Cape Government is this week reportedly studying the contents of a letter from Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana informing it that millions of Rands allocated to 10 municipalities would be withheld due to non-performance.
Affected municipalities include Overstrand, Cape Winelands, Cederberg, Witzenberg, Saldanha Bay, Kannaland, Knysna and Beaufort-West.
“In an extremely testing economic environment, with limited funds available to provide communities with their basic needs, for municipalities not to spend that money which is made available spits in the face of the most marginalized citizens. It directly sentences them to continue living in the dirt,” said GOOD Secretary-General, Brett Herron MP.
“The DA-led province distinguishes itself from other provinces through providing superior services to middle-class communities, while not bothering to spend available funds to improve conditions for the majority of the people.
“It reflects the extent to which narrowing the gap in living standards between rich and poor in the Western Cape has been deprioritized in favour of perpetuating the status-quo of separation and division.”
“Bredell must account for his failure to execute his oversight mandate. Municipal failures to spend allocated resources should result in qualified audits, and serious consequences for accounting officers,” Herron said.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 0825183264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za