ANC-led CoE Irresponsibly Dictates that Street lights aren’t a Priority
by Cllr Simon Lapping — DA Shadow MMC for Water, Energy and Sanitation in Ekurhuleni
Date: 25 January 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media Statement
The ANC coalition led City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has irresponsibly informed the residents of Ekurhuleni, via its Twitter social media channel (CoE_Call_Centre), on the 13th January 2021 that street lights are not a priority to be repaired during the lockdown.
This sends a clear message by the uncaring ANC coalition that the safety of the residents is not a concern for them.
Across the failing municipality, communities are plunged into darkness due to non-operational streetlights, despite residents logging numerous calls with the Call Centre.
The Metro has a responsibility to safeguard residents with available resources and by ensuring street lights work, is one of them. The ANC coalition is failing at delivering on its basic mandate and putting the residents of the City at risk.
It is becoming quite clear that the ANC and its coalition partners have allowed the Energy Department to become the neglected department of the Municipality. Since the Energy Department has faced severe staff shortages and this ANC led Coalition administration has shown that it does not have the political will to address this urgent issue.
As it currently stands, the Metro has approximately 890 staff in the Energy Department, when it should have a minimum of 1600 staff as a set standard by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa).
Street lights are a basic component to ensure the safety of our residents of which the ANC controlled Metro has a duty to care and to ensure they get serviced and repaired regularly.
We, as the DA, believe that the CoE should focus on the basic services. Basic services have deteriorated to such a point that we may see a total collapse looming.
The DA is the only party that can bring real change in Ekurhuleni, and we will hold the ANC coalition to account and ensure that they deliver on the basic services enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa. The people of Ekurhuleni cannot be expected to bear the brunt of a failing ANC government who cannot keep the lights on.
Cllr Simon Lapping
DA Shadow MMC for Water, Energy and Sanitation in Ekurhuleni
