GOOD press statement by Sarah Mabotsa,
GOOD: City of Tshwane Councillor
30 March 2022
During tomorrow’s sitting of Council, the DA-led administration will table its budget and its Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the 2022/23 financial year.
We look forward to Tshwane’s Executive Mayor, Randall Williams, tabling a fully funded budget that also demonstrates that the DA has learnt from the mistakes of the last term. The last term was characterised by unlawful multi-billion rand contracts, being placed under administration, a Moody’s downgrade and just general governance chaos in the Capital City.
It must not be forgotten that in one five-year term, the Capital City went through three mayors and an administrator which demonstrates that Tshwane was rudderless for the most part.
In the interests of the residents of Tshwane, we are hopeful that the city leadership and administration have gotten their act together.
To this end, we look forward to the pronouncements to address the following service delivery issues that continue to plague the people of Tshwane.
Specifically, we expect to see:
Processes being put in place to ensure good governance – and implement consequence management for officials and politicians who are not good. Tshwane lost R2.2 billion to unauthorised expenditure and R6.4 billion to irregular expenditure in the last 5 years. If Tshwane is going to work, we need competent professionals with real qualifications and experience to run it.
A commitment to reviewing water and electricity tariffs and sensible use of National Government grants – which provide for R430 of free services for each indigent household per month and assurances that they are getting to all the households that need them.
The current plan for the city commits to supporting just 3000 indigent households each year – in a city of 1.2 million households. That is only one in every 400 households. Is that really an accurate reflection of poverty in our city? The National government grants are available and we must use them.
Taking savings we make through cutting waste, and reprioritising spending to more essential items, we can deliver faster to those who are still waiting to receive streetlights, electricity, water, roads and toilets.
Our buses run empty in the middle of the day, whilst people travel long distances and pay high transport costs to get to work. These commutes are the hidden tax of apartheid spatial injustice. We must help ease that suffering. To alleviate this problem, we look forward to seeing a plan to alleviate the costs of travelling for people going to and looking for work. Tshwane has an urban sprawl problem and this needs to be addressed in the interest of its residents.
Executive Mayor Williams must commit himself to cleaning up government and stopping tender irregularities. This is possible with better planning and spending practices. He must implement better oversight on spending; ensure clean, public, open bidding processes; and professionalise the public service so that it is accountable, efficient, and transparent.
If the DA-led city government fails to address these basics, it will be the people that suffer, and we will likely see the city’s recent history repeating itself.
Media enquiries:
Sarah Mabotsa, GOOD: City of Tshwane Councillor
Cell: 064 684 8640
Email: smabotsamuthivhi@gmail.com
Samkelo Mgobozi, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0792315977 (WhatsApp)/0829684021 (calls)
Email: samm@forgood.org.za