GOOD Press Statement by Sarah Mabotsa,
GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor
18 May 2023
When the Mayor of Tshwane Cilliers Brink started his State of the City Address (SOCA) by stating that many will probably question the glaring gaps in his speech, he was not wrong.
Throughout his hour long SOCA, Mayor Brink had plenty of opportunities to give residents the details and reassurances they deserve on the plan forward to rescue Tshwane from the recent instability and the failings of his predecessors.
Instead, residents had to listen to a vague and disappointing address, leaving many wondering if they have heard it all before.
While the Mayor did raise some of the right issues, including the need for infrastructure upgrades and improved waste management, he failed to provide answers on how the challenges will be addressed. It seems the plan for the majority of the proposed solutions is to simply rely on private business to come to the rescue where and when government fails.
GOOD is however pleased that Mayor Brink listened to our recent concerns, and we therefore welcome the commitment to deal with the Auditor General’s damning report of 2022, which will be crucial to ensure a financially sustainable city in the future.
The Mayor also committed to leaving no one behind. But his plan to address the load-shedding crisis, will most likely place even more pressure on the already overburdened and most vulnerable residents of Tshwane.
He himself noted that residents will struggle as they soon face an 18% increase in electricity tariffs. Rather than looking at how they could assist cash strapped residents, his focus was on how the mark-up of the sale of electricity could be used.
While it’s urgent that the City addresses its financial crisis, leaders cannot be disconnected from the reality of residents who are already unable to keep their heads above water. There needs to be some relief for overburdened residents and increased support for indigent households.
In terms of long term energy plans, GOOD welcomes the commitment of the Tshwane government to procure up to 1000MW of energy from IPP’s over the next 3 years.
Finally, in the midst of a city in crisis, with many basic services and infrastructure failing due to budget constraints, Brink committed to cutting expenses in the city by 30% in a bid to fix its finances. However, with no insights offered as to where these cuts would be made, it’s again unclear what impact this will have on the daily lives of residents who always seem to have to pay the price.
Media Enquiries:
Sarah Mabotsa, GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor
Cell: 064 684 8640
Email: smabotsamuthivhi@gmail.com
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za