Residents of Ekurhuleni Need a Caring Government as ANC-led Coalition continues to fail
by Ald Tania Campbell — DA Leader in Ekurhuleni
Date: 29 January 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Speech
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni shares our anger and frustration with the residents of the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) as the failing ANC-led Coalition has no plan to turn the City around.
This comes after the Executive Mayor, Cllr Mzwandile Masina, highlighted the difficulties that the ANC Coalition City, is currently experiencing, including financial stress and the delay of service delivery, which the Mayor states, is due to COVID-19.
We understand the hardships the COVID-19 Pandemic has caused on our communities across the City, including massive financial constraints.
However, as the DA, we believe it’s time for the ANC-led Coalition to put our communities first and prioritise service delivery. This is not the time for the ANC Mayor to dream about Formula One tracks, Zoos/Botanical Gardens and a Disney Land. Our communities need the basics, now!
We have been living with COVID-19 for almost a year now, and the ANC Coalition has only thought to put measures and plan into place now. This reactive behaviour shows the lack of political will to improve the lives of the residents and attract investors, we need to step up!
The non-operational and lack of maintenance of property and assets is leading to the collapse of service delivery.
The high rates of illegal electricity connections are overloading our systems and are further burdening our residents, who are already forced to endure rampant power outages, due to the failure of the unmaintained electrical grid. Yet, the ANC-led City, does nothing to stop the surge of illegal connections. Our overburdened electricity grid cannot withstand this, perhaps it’s time the ANC-led City embark on renewable energy, like the DA-run City of Cape Town.
The failing ANC’s infrastructural challenges doesn’t just stop with electricity, as the City’s bridges, storm water system and roads are in a state of collapse, with our road littered with potholes. But instead, the ANC-led City focuses on cycling paths, while our roads go unmaintained.
Add to this, the overgrown parks, due to the non-existent grass cutting and the problems in the waste department, which has led to landfill sites across the city being closed, shows the seriousness of the situation gripping the City. As the DA, we are fighting for clean governance and presented a motion to council, which sought to compel the Executive Mayor to take charge and remove the failing ANC MMC for Environmental Resources and Waste Management, Ald Khosi Mabaso, and replace her with a capable councillor, who can restore service delivery to our residents.
Our residents need a caring government, who will put them first. Clinics across Ekurhuleni are understaffed with 192 critical vacant posts, resulting in long queues of people seeking medical help. Our over worked doctors and nurses work tirelessly to help the community members. During this pandemic it is appalling that under an ANC-led government, there are such high vacancies.
In addition, the ANC Mayor highlighted in his council speech, that the City is experiencing high burial rates. Shockingly, the ANC-led Coalition has been unable to make the City’s crematorium operational, since late 2019. That means for over a year, no cremations have been able to take place by the City.
We need to start putting our residents first. Our parks and greenbelts are filthy and overgrown, and the majority of our libraries remain closed. During COVID-19, residents should be able to visit or interact with the library services online. But the ANC’s failure has meant that communities have no access to reading materials or City Wi-Fi facilities.
As the 2021 Local Government Elections are fast approaching it seems like the current ANC-led Coalition has all but given up, with devastating results for the residents. The DA will continue to hold them to account. We are ready to make a difference in the City, for businesses and communities.
Ald Tania Campbell
DA Leader in Ekurhuleni
